Charles Tillman - Pro Football Rumors

Remaining Options At Cornerback

March 11th, 2014 at 11:18pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Aqib Talib contract is the latest free agent signing that has shaken up the NFL landscape, leaving few options at cornerback and many teams with a need at the position. There are still some very productive players, and even a few big names on the market that could fill those needs. Here’s a brief roundup:

Assuming Darrelle Revis gets cut by the Buccaneers, an assumption that seems safe at this point, he will become the top free agent left on the market. He could have many potential landing spots, and will most likely draw interest from the Patriots to replace Talib.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was in negotiations to return to the Broncos, but the team has reportedly pulled their offer after signing Talib, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
Tracy Porter is visiting with the Giants, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Porter was one of the few bright spots for the Raiders in 2013.
Charles Tillman and Cortland Finnegan are both veterans that could be available for small money on short term deals. Tillman was thought to be a fit with the Buccaneers before Verner signed there. Finnegan has not drawn much interest so far.
The Jets and Lions are both still in need of help at corner, and it would be risky to go into the draft without adding anything at the position.

NFC Rumors: Allen, Rams, Tillman, Costa

March 11th, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

With the Broncos shifting their focus to DeMarcus Ware, Vikings free agent defensive end Jared Allen is talking with the Bears and Seahawks, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). More out of the NFC..

Contrary to some reports, free agent defensive end Antonio Smith is not making a free agent visit to the Rams, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Rams decided not to make a tender offer to cornerback Quinton Pointer, an exclusive rights free agent, Thomas tweets.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) would not be surprised to see the Panthers work to get in the game for free agent cornerback Charles Tillman. There was a lot of talk about Tillman reuniting with former coach Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay, but that’s probably off the table now that the Buccaneers have agreed to sign Alterraun Verner.
Former Cowboys veteran center Phil Costa visited the Lions today and will meet with the Patriots on Monday, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Football Post. Costa, a 6-foot-3, 302-pounder from Maryland who has started 20 of 26 career games, started no games last season after the Cowboys drafted center Travis Frederick in the first round. For what it’s worth, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter) hears that the Pats visit took place yesterday.
The Buccaneers were pursuing offensive tackle Rodger Saffold last weekend, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Had they signed him, he would have played left tackle in Tampa. Instead, Saffold is Oakland bound.

Florida Rumors: Tillman, Watson, Young

March 11th, 2014 at 7:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the Sunshine State..

Bears free agent cornerback Charles Tillman is visiting the Buccaneers, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). It’s possible that they could be eyeing Tillman as a Darrelle Revis replacement.
Linebacker Dekoda Watson is on the Dolphins‘ radar, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Nothing is imminent, however.
Seahawks free agent cornerback Walter Thurmond is visiting the Jaguars in the next 24 hours, Schefter tweets.
Lions free agent Willie Young is also visiting the Jaguars, Schefter tweets.
The Jaguars have a visit lined up with Watson, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Thurmond also has a visit lined up with the Buccaneers.
If Watson doesn’t land with the Jaguars, he’ll visit the Bills, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. But, Jacksonville could be his first and last visit.
The Buccaneers are active in free agency, and are meeting with linebacker Dane Fletcher tonight, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Tampa Bay is also meeting with center Evan Dietrich-Smith, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).

Defensive Back Rumors: Tillman, Bethea, Mitchell

March 11th, 2014 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest secondary news..

The Buccaneers are interested in acquiring cornerback Charles Tillman, two sources tell Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. The Bucs are preparing to part with star cornerback Darrelle Revis and Tillman could come and reunite with coach Lovie Smith.
Antoine Bethea is a possibility for the 49ers at safety, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
It sounds like the Redskins are now a longshot to land free agent safety Mike Mitchell, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Mitchell is picking up interest after having a solid year with the Panthers on a one-year, make good contract. Diana Marie Russini of NBC Washington (on Twitter) hears the same thing and says that Jairus Byrd is even less likely.

NFC Rumors: Giants, Saints, Vikings, Lions

March 10th, 2014 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Monday afternoon updates on NFC teams:

The Giants have some level of interest in Brandon Pettigrew, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). With Jimmy Graham franchised and Dennis Pitta extended, Pettigrew may be the top unrestricted free agent tight end of the offseason.
Assuming Charles Tillman doesn’t re-sign with the Bears, the Panthers look like a potential destination for the veteran defensive back, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
The Saints brought safety Louis Delmas in for a visit after he was released by the Lions, but New Orleans doesn’t appear likely to sign Delmas, a source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
Adding a veteran safety doesn’t look like a top priority for the Vikings, but it could be worth keeping an eye on Ryan Clark as a possible fit, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
The Redskins have remained in contact with the reps for safety Mike Mitchell, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Keim adds that Kenny Britt and Andrew Hawkins are two potential WR targets to keep an eye on for the Redskins.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says the Lions will definitely sign a wide receiver and a safety in free agency, but it’s not clear yet which specific players the team will land (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
As Lions GM Martin Mayhew suggested last month, while he’d like to have a new deal worked out with Ndamukong Suh by the time the 2014 league year begins tomorrow, he won’t consider it a setback if nothing is done, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Suh, who recently hired Jimmy Sexton of CAA to negotiate his next deal, has a cap number of $22MM+ for 2014 that the Lions would like to reduce.

Free Agent Notes: Pierre Thomas, Ravens, Bears, Giants

March 8th, 2014 at 10:41am CST by Matt Feminis

Miscellaneous news and notes, including free agent primers for the Bears and Giants:

Malcolm Jenkins‘ tweet indicates Pierre Thomas won’t be back with the Saints, points out NOLA.com’s Larry Holder (via Twitter).
The Ravens have made an offer to retain free agent receiver/returner Jacoby Jones, according to team insider Aaron Wilson (per Twitter).
Ravens free agent cornerback Corey Graham “should have a healthy market,” according to Wilson (via Twitter). Graham, a 2007 fifth-rounder, broke in with the Bears, made a name for himself as a Pro Bowl special teams player and earned a two-year, $3.95MM deal with the Ravens in 2012. He played a more prominent role in Baltimore, where he started 13 games over two seasons and contributed as a productive sub-package defender, tallying 74 tackles, 12 passes defended and four interceptions. The team wants Graham back, but will be unable to compete if another team is willing to pay him like a starter, says Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
The Bears will target defensive ends in free agency, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, who breaks down four groups of free agents the Bears will sift through: big-ticket targets (such as Michael Bennett or Everson Griffen); “budget buys” (similar to Matt Slauson, who signed an inexpensive one-year deal last year, started all 16 games and earned a four-year extension); cap casualties (veterans with “a little juice left,” as Biggs puts it); and the club’s own (most notably, Henry Melton, Charles Tillman and D.J. Williams).
Expect the Giants to act quickly in free agency, says NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, who predicts the team will land a priority free agent, likely an offensive lineman, in a matter of days. Raanan cites recent history as an indicator, reminding the team signed Antrel Rolle on the first day of free agency in 2010, signed David Baas in two days in 2011 and added Martellus Bennett three days into the 2012 signing period.

NFC North Links: Packers, Bears, Lions

March 2nd, 2014 at 7:33pm CST by Ben Levine

On this date in 2001, the Packers traded backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, a first- and seventh-round pick to the Seahawks for a first- and third-round pick. The trade ultimately proved to be a win for Seattle, and it goes beyond the team acquiring an eventual three-time Pro Bowl quarterback. With the first-round pick they acquired, the Seahawks drafted guard Steve Hutchinson, who would play in three Pro Bowls for the team. Center Dennis Norman was drafted out of Princeton with the Seahawks’ seventh-round pick. Norman played about four seasons with Seattle before continuing his career with the Jaguars and Chargers.

The Packers acquired the tenth pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and selected defensive end Jamal Reynolds. Injuries resulted in Reynolds only playing in 18 career games, compiling 16 tackles and three sacks. With their third-rounder, Green Bay took linebacker Torrance Marshall, who served a back-up role with the team for four seasons.

Let’s take a look at some Packer and NFC North rumors…

The Packers are trying to re-sign Sam Shields for a contract worth less than $6MM a year, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Multiple reporters responded to the tweet, with Aaron Nagler of Bleacher Report suggesting that the cornerback will receive $8MM to $9MM (via Twitter).
Brandon Marshall with get a contract extension from the Bears, but he may not sign it this offseason unless it’s a cap-friendly deal, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Wright refers to Marshall’s previous comments that he wants to end his career in Chicago.
For Charles Tillman to return to the Bears, he’d have to take a discount, Wright also says. He believes that Tillman does not need to move to the safety position and can still be an above-average cornerback.
Cornerback is a position of need for the Lions and they could look to improve that position through free agency, says Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Rothstein suggests Rashean Mathis and Corey Graham as potential targets.

NFC North Rumors: Suh, Tillman, Cobb

February 19th, 2014 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions would like to meet with Ndamukong Suh’s reps this week to discuss a new deal for the defensive lineman, but if Suh has hired a new agent, no one has informed the team yet, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports have been linked to Suh, but it’s still not entirely clear if Roc Nation will only represent the 27-year-old for marketing purposes, or if the agency will be negotiating his contracts as well. As we wait for confirmation from Suh’s camp on who will be negotiating his new deal, let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFC North….

In an appearance on WSCR-AM 670 in Chicago, prospective free agent Charles Tillman continued to leave the door open for a return to the Bears, though he’ll definitely hit the open market, as Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune writes. “If I’m here, sweet,” Tillman said of Chicago. “If I’m not, that’s business.” The veteran cornerback also acknowledged that retirement may not be too far off (“I don’t want to play forever”), but shot down the idea of moving to safety in 2014.
Packers receiver Randall Cobb is entering a contract year in 2014, and as far as he knows, there haven’t been any extension talks yet between his agent and the team (link via Dan Hanzus of NFL.com). “I would definitely love that,” Cobb said. “But unfortunately that won’t be my decision. That will be on the team to come to me with that decision.”
Although the Vikings will have to address a “glaring need” at cornerback in either free agency or the draft, safety may be the only position on defense with no turnover this offseason, according to Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune.

Lions Links: Suh, Isles, Tillman, Free Agents

February 4th, 2014 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions were awarded the first waiver claim of the offseason yesterday, grabbing safety Isa Abdul-Quddus from the Saints. That will be far from the last move in what figures to be a busy winter in Detroit, so let’s check in on a few links examining some of the decisions facing the team….

In a column for the Detroit Free Press, Drew Sharp argues that the Lions should move on from Ndamukong Suh, attempting to trade him for draft picks rather than working out a new deal that reduces his $22.4MM cap number for 2014. However, an extension is the likelier outcome. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team plans to re-open talks when Suh hires a new agent.
Rugby speedster Carlin Isles signed a reserve/futures contract with the Lions a few weeks ago, but is still undecided on whether to pursue an NFL career or to focus on winning 2016 Olympic gold in rugby, according to a CNN report.
Asked if he’d consider signing with the Lions as a free agent this offseason, defensive back Charles Tillman acknowledged that it’d probably be “a little awkward in the beginning,” but sounded open to the possibility, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com takes an extended look at all 22 of the Lions’ 2014 free agents.
Lions backup QB Shaun Hill is among the team’s unrestricted free agents, and his future will depend on whether he wants a better shot at playing time elsewhere and whether the club’s new coaching staff wants a backup more familiar with its system, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com outlines.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Bears, Graham

February 1st, 2014 at 4:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Redskins’ head coach Jay Gruden has decisions to make on how much of the Bengals’ offensive scheme he will implement, and how much of the Redskins’ system he will keep, write Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. Tandler notes that at Gruden’s introductory press conference, the new coach mentioned that he liked how effective the Redskins zone blocking was in 2013. That would bode well for the interior of the offensive line already in place, as the team could look to keep Kory Lichtensteiger, Will Montgomery, and Chris Chester. Of those three, only Chester’s cap hit is high enough to provoke a release. However, if Gruden does bring over the power blocking scheme the Bengals employed, El-Bashir writes that the offensive line must be completely retooled to be a bigger, stronger unit. Here is some other news from the NFC:

Bears’ center Roberto Garza has not yet begun talks of a new contract for the 2014 season, but believes there is still a shot he is back with the team next season, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Obviously I want to be back there,” Garza said. “They told me they want me back, so we’ll see.”
Finley also wrote that another Bears free agent, Charles Tillman, would be open to all teams if Chicago doesn’t re-sign him, and would be particularly excited to find a new home in Tampa Bay with his old coach Lovie Smith. “Obviously, it makes the deal probably a little sweeter just because it’s a former head coach,” Tillman said. “You do know the system, you know the scheme.”
Drew Brees made headlines last week by saying that he thought of Jimmy Graham as a tight end rather than a receiver, but now emphasizes that regardless of position, he only cares that Graham is playing for the Saints, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Brees appeared on the Dan Patrick show on Friday, to make it clear his feelings on the situation. “I want Jimmy back!” Brees said. “I want Jimmy Graham back!”