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Free Agent Notes: Patterson, Bailey, Kafka, Painter

August 30th, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Ben Levine

It was a busy day in the NFL, and plenty of free agents are now looking for a new home. Let’s see where some of them could be heading…

The Texans have already expressed interest in former Jets cornerback Dimitri Patterson, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Saints don’t have a kicker on their roster, but they shouldn’t be worried. Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that there are plenty of options in free agency, including Ryan Succop, Connor Barth and Jay Feely.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport spoke to Champ Bailey‘s agent, Jack Reale, who indicated that the veteran “definitely” still wants to play and is completely healthy. “He had a plantar problem which is resolved. He just missed too much time for the coach’s evaluation to be complete,” Reale said (via Rapoport’s Twitter).
The Buccaneers will look to bring back quarterback Mike Kafka to their practice squad, tweets the Tampa Tribune’s Roy Cummings.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wonders if the 49ers could have interest in offensive lineman Vinston Painter. Florio refers to the 49ers attempt to sign Painter away from the Broncos prior to the conference championship games.
If Joe Banyard clears waivers, he will end up on the Vikings practice squad, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The Bills aren’t expected to add another quarterback, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

Saints Cut Champ Bailey, Robert Meachem

August 30th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran defensive back Champ Bailey has failed to secure a spot on the Saints’ 53-man roster, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans is cutting Bailey. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Saints have also parted ways with wideout Robert Meachem.

In releasing Bailey, the Saints will be stuck with $500K in dead money on their cap, since that portion of the veteran’s one-year contract with the club was guaranteed. There were rumblings during training camp and the preseason that Bailey may not be assured of a roster spot in New Orleans — he’s not a contributor on special teams, so to land a spot on the team’s regular-season roster, he probably would have had to secure a starting spot, or at least a nickel back role. Based on his performance this summer, it seems the Saints weren’t convinced he’d be a positive asset in their secondary.

The two cuts are the latest Saints moves as the team trims its roster to 53 players. We passed along several other cuts made by the team earlier today.

NFC Notes: Hester, Felton, Bailey, Cards

August 11th, 2014 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Bear Devin Hester would have liked to continue – and eventually end – his career in Chicago, but when he became a free agent earlier this year, the team didn’t have much interest in re-signing him, as he tells Patrick Finley of the Chicago Tribune.

“It’s not like I had a choice to sign with them again,” Hester said. “They didn’t even call me to let me know they were willing to bring me back. I didn’t hear from them at all. It made it a lot easier for me to say, ‘OK,’ and then go look for another team.”

When he hit the open market, Hester considered the Cardinals and Lovie Smith’s Buccaneers, but ultimately landed with the Falcons. Here’s more from around the NFC:

Like Hester, wide receiver Stevie Johnson expected to eventually finish his career with the team he started with, but the Bills opted to trade him to the 49ers in May. Johnson spoke to Don Banks of SI.com about his offseason and about playing for the team he grew up rooting for in San Francisco.
With new offensive coordinator Norv Turner now leading the offense in Minnesota, the Vikings aren’t expected to utilize a fullback as often, meaning Jerome Felton‘s roster spot could be in jeopardy just two years after he made the Pro Bowl. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has the details, including quotes from the veteran fullback, who expressed confidence in his place on the team’s 53-man roster.
Veteran cornerback Champ Bailey appears to have suffered some sort of injury in training camp, but the Saints haven’t indicated whether or not it’s serious, writes Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, who wonders if the team will strongly consider cutting ties with Bailey.
Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com rounds up a few notable comments from Cardinals GM Steve Keim‘s latest appearance on 98.7 FM in Arizona.

NFC Notes: Saints, Washington, 49ers

May 30th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Saints have a few positions battles that might not be decided until late in training camp, according to Rachel Whittaker of NOLA.com. She mentions options at starting center, as well as the overhaul of the receiving corps.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

Another position on the Saints that is left in limbo is the defensive backfield, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. The team knows who the starting safeties should be, but they have a deep group of cornerbacks behind Keenan Lewis fighting for the second corner job. The team gets Patrick Robinson back from injury, in addition to Corey White, free agent veterain Champ Bailey, and second-round pick Stanley-Jean Baptiste, among others. There are 11 cornerbacks on the 90-man roster, when only five made the final roster last season.
Recently suspended Cardinals‘ linebacker Daryl Washington stand to lose a lot of money due to his most recent transgressions, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Washington will forfeit his 2014 base salary of $2.9MM and his prorated signing bonus of nearly $500,000, but will still have almost $13MM of potential earnings upon his return, as his current contract runs through 2017.
49ers‘ linebacker Michael Wilhoite and third-round pick Chris Borland will fight for a starting job at inside linebacker to begin 2014, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com. The position is open due to NaVorro Bowman‘s injury at the end of the NFC Championship Game, and one of those two players could be lining up next to Patrick Willis at times in the upcoming season.
Jeremy Maclin is back with the Eagles, and head coach Chip Kelly is excited to have another weapon in his offensive arsenal, writes Andy Jasner of ESPN.com. “Mac’s doing a really good job, just getting back familiar with it. I was really excited about how he would fit into what we do because of what he can do. And then to lose him that early in camp was disappointing. You got a taste of him,” said Kelly. “But having him out there full speed running out there right now, he’s doing a really good job.”
The Falcons have a long list of expiring contracts on their roster, and as they move to more 3-4 opportunities on defense, they could be in store for a major overhaul in talent, writes David Choats of TheFalcoholic.com. They put together a list of these players who will be free agents in 2015.

NFC Extra Points: Saints, Cobb, Nelson, Dockett, Ansah, Harbaugh

May 24th, 2014 at 1:05pm CST by Matt Feminis

Three players are vying for the Saints’ No. 2 cornerback job — Champ Bailey, Patrick Robinson and Corey White — and ESPN’s Mike Triplett thinks “it’s pretty close to a three-way tie between that trio for the No. 2 job — or they may all be used in situations that favor their skill sets.” As for Robinson in particular, Triplett says he will get a legitimate shot because otherwise they would have released him to alleviate their salary cap crunch. The 2010 first-rounder hasn’t lived up to expectations, and is entering the final year of his rookie deal counting $2.8MM against the cap.
It would be a surprise if the Packers didn’t extend the contract of Randall Cobb or Jordy Nelson (both free agents in 2015) before September, writes ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, who says Cobb is a must re-sign while Nelson is a “little bit trickier” because he’ll be 29 this season.
Soon to be 33, Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has two years remaining on his deal. He will count $8.75MM against the cap in 2014 and is scheduled to count $9.8MM against the cap in 2015, but ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss says after the upcoming season the team will ask him to take a pay cut or likely release him.
Aldon Smith‘s future is unknown thanks to his legal issues, and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh is already aggravated talking about it, writes Aaron Wilson at National Football Post. “I’m not going to get into speculating on what’s going to happen, what could happen, what will happen. There’s nothing really further that I can add to this line of questioning. You can take bamboo shoots and stick ’em under my fingernails and there still wouldn’t be any more I could add further to this discussion.”
Also at NFPost, Greg Gabriel spotlights a handful of second-year players in the NFC North poised to break out in 2014, including Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah. Says Gabriel: “As a rookie last year, [Ansah] had 32 total tackles and eight sacks. With a year of learning the game under his belt, I expect those numbers to nearly double. There is no telling how good Ansah can eventually become.”
Jackson Jeffcoat, a defensive end out of Texas, garnered a $15k signing bonus from the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, reports the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, who has the full list of the team’s signings/bonuses.

Extra Points: Carr, Johnson, Bailey, Bills

April 9th, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Although multiple reports have suggested that free agent signal-caller David Carr would like to end up on the team that drafts his brother Derek Carr, perhaps serving as Derek’s backup, that’s not necessarily the case, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter tweets that the two brothers’ destinations aren’t related, and that David intends to sign with a club prior to draft day.

As the elder Carr continues to search for a new home, let’s round up a handful of updates from around the NFL….

Free agent running back Chris Johnson could theoretically try out for teams in private, without those workouts needing to be reported, but he doesn’t intend to do so, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, it’s possible that Johnson could reach an agreement with a new team without even visiting that club, since the veteran is a known commodity at this point.
All NFL 32 teams were in attendance at LSU’s Pro Day today, including several general managers and head coaches, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
The details of Champ Bailey‘s two-year contract with the Saints have surfaced, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com provides the breakdown (Twitter links): The base value is $3.75MM, though it can be worth up to $6.75MM with incentives and escalators. It’s guaranteed for $500K and includes a $250K roster bonus if Bailey is on the team for six games in 2014.
The Bills announced today that Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews and Louisville linebacker Preston Brown were in town to meet with the team.
Top cornerback prospect Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State will visit the Titans on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, who was in New England today for a private workout, will visit the Cardinals on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Cards are also hosting Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine today, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
The Packers will host Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington for an official pre-draft visit next week, tweets agent Collin Roberts.

Saints, Champ Bailey Agree To Two-Year Deal

April 4th, 2014 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: Bailey’s two-year contract will have a max value of $7MM, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

2:19pm: Several weeks after locking up the best free agent safety on the market, the Saints have agreed to sign arguably the most accomplished free agent cornerback available this offseason. New Orleans has reached an agreement on a two-year deal with free agent cornerback Champ Bailey, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com first reported (via Twitter) that Bailey was on the verge of deciding on a team.

Bailey, will turn 36 this summer, appeared in just five regular season games in 2013 due to a foot injury, and his exorbitant cap hit made him a cap casualty for the AFC champion Broncos. However, his all-time resumé, which includes 52 career interceptions and spots on 12 Pro Bowl teams, suggests it would be unwise to count him out as a key contributor in 2014.

In his last healthy season (2012), Bailey grabbed a pair of interceptions and racked up 66 tackles. His combination of positive grades against the run and in pass coverage resulted in a top-10 rank at cornerback in ’12, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

Given the Saints’ cap limitations, it’ll be interesting to see the terms on Bailey’s contract with the team, as well as whether or not any other players rework their own deals to help create flexibility. Signing Bailey seems to signal that the team may not be inclined to match the Falcons’ offer sheet for safety Rafael Bush. A decision on Bush is due by Tuesday.

Bailey will be joining a Saints secondary that includes aforementioned top safety Jairus Byrd, as well as returning players like Keenan Lewis, Corey White, and Kenny Vaccaro. With Byrd and Vaccaro penciled in as the starting safeties, Bailey likely won’t be asked to change positions, which he expressed an openness to consider following the Super Bowl. Instead, the veteran corner could step into Jabari Greer‘s old role — Greer is on the free agent market after being cut loose by the Saints in February.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Champ Bailey Visiting Saints

April 1st, 2014 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent defensive back Champ Bailey is visiting New Orleans to meet with the Saints, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter and Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), other teams have expressed interest in Bailey, so the veteran figures to take at least one more visit if he doesn’t ink a deal with the Saints right away.

Bailey, will turn 36 this summer, appeared in just five regular season games in 2013 due to a foot injury, and his exorbitant cap hit made him a cap casualty for the AFC champion Broncos. While he can walk away from the game as one of the top cornerbacks of his time and a likely ticket to Canton, Bailey indicated after the Super Bowl that he would like to continue playing. The longtime cornerback also previously expressed reluctance about moving from corner to safety, as many veterans do, but sounded at least open to the idea when asked again after the Super Bowl.

NFC Notes: Moore, Panthers, Bailey, Rams

March 31st, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve taken a turn around the NFC North and the NFC East, so let’s cover the news items in the rest of the NFC:

Receiver Marlon Moore, formerly of the Dolphins and 49ers, will have a tryout with the Buccaneers, tweets Howard Balzer. Moore is more of a special teams contributor than an offensive weapon.
Sam Houston State running back Timothy Flanders will visit with the Saints, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
The Panthers, who could still use help at receiver and on the offensive line, will “keep their eye out for free agent bargains,” but are mostly preparing for the draft, says Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The 49ers have several cornerbacks who have had run-ins with the law, including the recently-arrested Chris Culliver, and veteran Champ Bailey could be a valuable addition to replace some of the leadership lost with the departures of Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown, writes Matt Barrows the Sacramento Bee.
Another NFC West team looking to add to its secondary is the Rams, opines ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “It would have been nice [to add a veteran], but honestly that market got priced out of what we were looking for,” said head coach Jeff Fisher. Wagoner expects the team to add a cornerback at some point in the draft.

Broncos Release Champ Bailey

March 6th, 2014 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

THURSDAY, 12:51pm: The Broncos officially announced that they have released Bailey, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

WEDNESDAY, 9:01pm: The Broncos will release Champ Bailey, an NFL source tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The move does not come as a surprise, as Bailey was set to earn $9MM this season with a cap number of $10MM.

While Denver was not expected to shell out that kind of money for Bailey in 2014, the two sides discussed alternatives along the way, La Canfora tweets. Ultimately, however, the team didn’t offer up a pay cut, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. By completing the move in advance of March 15th, the Broncos will also save themselves the $1MM bonus that he would have been owed.

Bailey will turn 36 this summer after playing just five regular season games in 2013 thanks to a foot injury. While he can walk away from the game as one of the top cornerbacks of his time and a likely ticket to Canton, Bailey indicated after the Super Bowl that he would like to continue playing. And while he previously expressed reluctance towards moving from CB to safety as many veterans do, the longtime corner seemed to ease up on that stance as well.

Before you go crying for Bailey, who turns 36 in June, note that he has made over $101MM during his 15-year NFL career with ~$64M of that coming after his 30th birthday, as Brian McIntyre (via Twitter) points out. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap (Twitter link) estimates that the Broncos should now have ~$29MM in cap space.