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NFC FA Rumors: Cowboys, Seahawks, Lions

March 11th, 2014 at 7:31pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve passed along word of all the free agents who have already found homes – old or new – but there are plenty of players still on the market. Let’s take a look around the NFC at some of the day’s free agent rumors….

  • Now that Julius Peppers is an unrestricted free agent, the Cowboys have interest in the veteran defensive end, tweets Dianna Russini of NBC Washington. It would have to be a pretty inexpensive deal, given Dallas’ cap limitations.
  • Jeff Sullivan of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link) and Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link) both classify the Cowboys‘ interest in defensive lineman Henry Melton as strong, and Sullivan suggests there’s mutual interest. Melton will visit with the team and things could move quickly, according to the Dallas writers.
  • Free agent receiver Jacoby Jones will visit with the Giants on Wednesday, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. The Ravens are still discussing a potential return to Baltimore for Jones.
  • The Seahawks are in talks with defensive tackle Tony McDaniel on a new deal that would bring him back to Seattle, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport also tweets that the Seahawks will meet with free agent tight end Jermichael Finley and wide receiver Taylor Price, while Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link) adds defensive tackle Jason Hatcher to that list.
  • Meanwhile, former Seahawks receiver Golden Tate is visiting with the Lions tonight, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
  • Schefter passes along word via ESPN.com colleague Michael Rothstein (Twitter link) that the Lions have interest in safety Chris Clemons. The Steelers were also originally mentioned as a suitor, but they’re almost certainly out of the mix now that Mike Mitchell is headed to Pittsburgh.
  • In their pursuit of a tight end, the Lions are discussing a potential visit for free agent Scott Chandler, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • The Panthers would like to retain free agent receiver Domenik Hixon, but the Bears are also in talks with him, reports Rand Gatlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

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).

AFC East Links: Jets, Dolphins, Patriots

March 9th, 2014 at 6:46pm CST by Ben Levine

With the Jets having released Antonio Cromartie earlier today, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com analyzed the impact the move would have on the field and in the front office. Cimini doesn’t believe that Cromartie will return to New York unless he’s willing to accept a significantly smaller, one-year deal. When looking at potential replacements on the roster, the writer doesn’t buy that Kyle Wilson would be a viable replacement and suggests Alterraun Verner as a potential target. On Saturday, Cimini reported that the Jets had expressed interest in the Titans‘ cornerback. With the Cromartie release and signing of Jeff Cumberland yesterday, the Jets should have about $33MM in cap space, Cimini mentions (via Twitter).

More notes from the AFC East…

  • Another option for the Jets‘ secondary could be Dolphins safety Chris Clemons, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
  • Fellow Dolphins‘ defensive back Nolan Carroll is generating a lot of interest, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that Carroll had similar advanced stats to Sam Shields, who signed a $39MM contract yesterday.
  • With more than $30MM in cap room and a clear desire to win now, the Dolphins should make a big splash in free agency, says James Walker of ESPN.com. That move could be Branden Albert, who is likely to join the team on Tuesday.
  • In the same mailbag, Walker suggests that signing a running back is important to the Dolphins, but not a top priority. Instead of someone like Ben Tate, Walker suggests Maurice Jones-Drew.
  • There is a strong push within the Patriots organization to keep Julian Edelman, league sources tell Michael Giardi of CSNNewEngland.com (via Twitter). The Patriots coaches reportedly love his work ethic and ability to play special teams.

Extra Points: Saints, Bears, Gore, Eagles

March 7th, 2014 at 10:35pm CST by David Kipke

Earlier tonight, franchise player Jimmy Graham tweeted that he’s “shocked and disappointed” about everything that’s happened in New Orleans this offseason. Graham is likely referencing the Saints’ decisions to cut offensive weapons Lance Moore and Darren Sproles. According to John Breech of CBSSports.com, there’s a chance the team could release running back Pierre Thomas as well. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweeted that the decision to cut Moore and Sproles likely stemmed from the large cap numbers of Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs, Marques Colston, and Brodrick Bunkley.

Let’s look at some other news tidbits from this Friday evening…

  • Lance Briggs expressed similar frustrations to Graham with the Bears‘ front office on Friday, saying that if he ran the team, he would “trade all the draft picks and bring my brothers back.” Briggs was presumably referencing players like Charles Tillman, Devin Hester, and Brian Urlacher. While Urlacher retired after last season, the team seems ready to cut ties with Hester and Tillman. It is widely expected that the Bears will also part ways with Julius Peppers due to the eight-time Pro Bowler’s huge cap figure.
  • 49ers GM Trent Baalke has said that, considering Frank Gore “had a A++ season” in 2013, the team doesn’t feel it needs to restructure the five-time Pro Bowl running back’s contract this offseason, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
  • Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer thinks that the Eagles should pursue safety Malcolm Jenkins in free agency. McLane argues that the new free agent would be a better schematic fit for the Eagles than more prominent free agent safeties such as Jairus Byrd and T.J. Ward. He thinks the Eagles could also pursue the Panthers’ Michael Mitchell and the Dolphins’ Chris Clemons, among others.
  • Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune (via Twitter) thinks that because of the departures of Sproles and Moore, the Saints will be looking for a return specialist this offseason. Duncan speculates that the team could address this void by targeting Devin Hester, New Orleans native Jacoby Jones, or perhaps even a prospect like LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham.
  • Desmond Bryant, defensive end for the Browns, says he’s been medically cleared to play after a health scare, according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com and Bryant’s personal Twitter account.
  • Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group identifies six free agent offensive lineman that could interest the Browns, including San Diego’s Chad Rinehart and Kansas City’s Geoff Schwartz.
  • Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody, whose contract situation is currently up in the air, has signed with Authentic Athletix NFL agent Peter Schaffer, according to a tweet by Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journalism. Cody had been previously represented by Athletes First.
  • Ben Tate told Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston that he can become an “elite” running back next season. Tate has not been shy about his plans to test free agency and finally step into a starting role on another team.
  • Darnell Dockett called free agent tackle Branden Albert his teammate in a tweet earlier today, according to Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride. While Albert’s response to the tweet, which was quickly deleted, deflected Dockett’s comments, it did not directly dispute the teammate comment.

Lions Notes: Draft, Clemons, Fullback

February 25th, 2014 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions would be comfortable heading into the 2014 season with LaAdrian Waddle and Corey Hilliard as their right tackles, according to GM Martin Mayhew, who says both players played “really good football” for the team last season. However, while Detroit likely won’t pursue an upgrade in free agency, the club could be open to adding a tackle early in the draft if the opportunity arises, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. I still expect the Lions to address their secondary or add a receiver with that No. 10 pick, but they certainly could go in any number of directions. Here’s more out of Detroit:

  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press looks at a few potential targets for the Lions in free agency and the draft, noting that free agent safety Chris Clemons could be an option for the team’s secondary. Birkett also acknowledges that the club could draft a tackle with the tenth overall pick, but currently has Detroit grabbing Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans — according to Birkett, several scouts he has spoken to in Indianapolis don’t believe the gap between Evans and top receiver Sammy Watkins is as big as it’s perceived to be.
  • Under their previous coaching staff, the Lions eliminated traditional free safety and strong safety designations for defensive backs, opting for players capable of playing both roles. Under Jim Caldwell though, Detroit will once again differentiate between the two positions, which could affect which players the team pursues this offseason. Justin Rogers of MLive.com has the details.
  • With Caldwell taking the reins, the team also could reintroduce a fullback to the offense, writes Birkett in a separate Free Press piece. We could see the Lions add a run-blocking fullback in free agency to compete with Montell Owens for the final spot in the backfield.
  • Over at MLive.com, Meinke has a full list of prospects the Lions interviewed at this weekend’s combine.

AFC East Rumors: Jets, Wilfork, Dolphins

February 23rd, 2014 at 1:04pm CST by Rory Parks

It’s been a fairly busy day at the Jets rumor mill. We learned earlier that the team is eyeing veteran QB Josh McCown, and they are also looking at RBs Ben Tate and Donald Brown, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York. More quick notes from the AFC East:

  • Given defensive tackle Vince Wilfork‘s age, his recent Achilles tear, and the fact that his contract is up at the end of the 2014 season, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald writes that the time is now for the Patriots to draft Wilfork’s replacement. Guregian notes that the Pats should target a big defensive tackle early in the draft, and although Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan and Notre Dame’s Louis Nix will likely be gone by the time New England picks with the No. 29 overall selection, there will be some quality options available. Such options include Minnesota’s Ra’Shede Hageman, Pittsburgh’s Aaron Donald, and Penn State’s DaQuan Jones.
  • James Walker of ESPN.com notes that the Dolphins‘ bleak offseason could improve dramatically in the coming weeks. For the second consecutive year, the Dolphins will have a great deal of money to spend in free agency. With the salary cap expected to increase to $130MM, Miami could have up to $36MM in cap space, enough room to target their weaknesses on the O-line and in the secondary, and to re-sign some of their own free agents.
  • Speaking of the Miami secondary, Walker does not see re-signing Chris Clemons as a priority. He notes that the Dolphins would like a more dynamic playmaker to pair with Reshad Jones.
  • We rounded up some Buffalo Bills rumors here earlier today.