Da’Norris Searcy - Pro Football Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Melton, Parker, Graham

March 9th, 2015 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

The chase for defensive tackle Henry Melton is heating up, as Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Melton has heard from six teams so far and he’s likely to take a few trips this week to visit with interested teams. The Cowboys declined Melton’s option in February after he compiled 15 tackles, five sacks, and four passes defended in 2014. His season ended in December when he was placed on IR with a serious bone bruise bordering on a fracture. Here’s the latest free agent news from around the league..

The Dolphins‘ interest in free agent safety Ron Parker is quite real, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. However, they have some serious competition for his services as there are six to eight teams that stand as legitimate suitors for his services. We heard recently that the four-year veteran, who played corner and safety for the Chiefs last year, has drawn the eye of several teams, including the Giants, Jets, Buccaneers and Falcons. The Jets also have interest in Parker and he could be on the Eagles’ radar now that Devin McCourty is off the board.
Eagles free agent linebacker Brandon Graham is leaning towards the Dolphins and Titans, but now the Giants may make him an offer he can’t refuse, Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com tweets. Pass rushing is thought to be a priority for the Giants this offseason. Recently, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer speculated that Graham could net a deal north of $40MM in total value and $20MM in guarantees.
The Vikings still aren’t close on a deal with center Joe Berger, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. They’re working on one with restricted free agent running back Matt Asiata, however.
The Bears are currently targeting inside linebackers and safeties, Aaron Leming of BearReport.com tweets. He lists Mason Foster, Da’Norris Searcy, and Antrel Rolle as names to watch. Rolle is one of the Bears’ top targets and they appear to be the frontrunners for his services, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com tweets.

AFC Links: Parker, Williams, Searcy, Jaguars

March 7th, 2015 at 8:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the least-expected key free agents after he served as a special-teamer and backup in his first three years, Ron Parker looks ready to capitalize on the consistent playing time he received last season.

The four-year veteran who played corner and safety for the Chiefs last year has drawn the eye of several teams, including the Giants, Jets, Buccaneers and Falcons, according to Yahoo Sports’ Rand Getlin on Twitter.

The Chiefs, who signed Parker after the Seahawks and Panthers cut him, are also among the teams interested, but they are currently over the salary cap and may not have the ammunition to compete. Their interest in retaining standout center Rodney Hudson, who could cost up to $8MM per year, will almost certainly eliminate any Parker reunion.

Parker started 15 games for the Chiefs after appearing in the opening lineup once from 2011-13.

Elsewhere around the AFC …

Recently cut cornerback Cary Williams will visit the Titans after completing a summit with the Jets, per the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter. The Jets and Seahawks, who will likely lose Byron Maxwell, are firmly in the mix for the ex-Ravens and Eagles corner.
Fellow free agent defensive back Da’Norris Searcy also looks to have a slew of potential buyers. The Colts, Texans, Raiders and Dolphins are pursuing the 26-year-old safety, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Twitter. Like Parker, Searcy was a full-time starter for just one season, 2014, and he graded well against the run for the Bills last year (Pro Football Focus; subscription required). The Bills re-signing Searcy would mean keeping safeties in back-to-back years after they re-upped Aaron Williams last March.
Flush with cap space and in dire need of pass-catchers, the Jaguars figure to make an offer to Julius Thomas, ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets. No team has more to spend than the Jaguars, at more than $68MM, and few have more needs. Florida Times-Union Jaguars columnist Gene Frenette believes the Jags are set to land at least two of the marquee free agents with their mountain of cash stashed after years of mediocre offseason hauls.
The team that unleashed Thomas the past two years isn’t expected to replicate the signing sprees that brought so many impact players the past three springs, reports Denver Post Broncos reporter Mike Klis. The Broncos are trying to retain tight end Virgil Green but may lose their top four free agents: Terrance Knighton, Orlando Franklin, Rahim Moore and Thomas.

AFC Rumors: Revis, Hughes, Skrine, Hoyer

March 7th, 2015 at 5:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots have a couple more days to work out a new deal with cornerback Darrelle Revis before they have to either cut him or pick up his option for 2015. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), Revis plans to explore his options on the open market, and if he receives offers comparable to the Pats’ proposal, he’ll return to New England.

Here’s more from around the AFC, with the three-day “legal tampering” window now open:

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports and Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter links) both hear from a source that the Bills are working on re-signing Jerry Hughes, and have made progress. However, Graham says both sides are “very aware” that the clock is ticking, and Robinson suggests other teams may get in on the bidding.
Browns cornerback Buster Skrine has been a popular target in the early hours of free agency. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via Twitter) that eight teams expressed interest in Skrine during the first three hours of this afternoon’s negotiating window.
At least four teams have shown early interest in Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, a source tells Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (Twitter link).
The Colts, Texans, Raiders, and Dolphins are among the teams that made preliminary inquiries on Bills safety Da’Norris Searcy today, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com.

AFC East Rumors: Hartline, Searcy, Bills, Jets

March 5th, 2015 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

We can add another team to the list of potential suitors for wide receiver Brian Hartline, and it’s a division rival of Hartline’s old team. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter), the free agent wideout is drawing interest from the Patriots. No visit has been set up yet between the Pats and Hartline, who has already met with the Browns, Bears, and Texans, but I’d imagine the former Dolphin will at least listen to what New England has to say, since the prospect of catching balls from Tom Brady seems appealing.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

Like Jairus Byrd a year ago, Bills safety Da’Norris Searcy will be given the chance to test free agency next week, reports John Wawrow of The Associated Press. Buffalo appears unlikely to invest in Searcy, since the team is already paying big money to its other safety, Aaron Williams. A source tells Wawrow that the Bills and Searcy haven’t spoken since the team made him an offer two weeks ago.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com confirms that the Bills have interest in a pair of free agent targets that have already been linked to the team: offensive lineman Mike Iupati and linebacker David Harris. Iupati appears to be atop Buffalo’s free agent wish list, per La Canfora.
After visiting the Seahawks, free agent cornerback Cary Williams will meet with the Jets next, weather permitting, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Assuming he doesn’t reach an agreement with either of those clubs, a visit with the Titans would be next up on Williams’ schedule. We heard earlier today that both of those teams were eyeing Williams, who is also receiving interest from the Steelers, tweets Wyatt.

East Notes: Bills, Cowboys, Eagles, Dolphins

February 19th, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Based on comments made by Bills general manager Doug Whaley today, Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (Twitter link) believes free-agents-to-be C.J. Spiller, Brandon Spikes, and Da’Norris Searcy will be allowed to explore their options on the open market next month. Conversely, it sounds like the team badly wants to re-sign Marcus Easley prior to March 10 (Twitter link).

Let’s round up several more items relating to the league’s East teams….

While Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are receiving most of the attention in Dallas this offseason, linebacker Rolando McClain is also someone the team is “very interested” in re-signing, according to Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
The Cowboys were pleased with Brandon Weeden‘s work as Tony Romo‘s backup in 2014, but won’t rule out the possibility of upgrading at that spot if the opportunity presents itself, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. “Everybody is always competing in this league,” Jones said. “There is nobody guaranteed anything. That includes Weeden and everybody.”
Prior to their release of tight end James Casey today, the Eagles didn’t have any discussions about reducing Casey’s salary and keeping him, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. According to Bowen, the veteran is looking for a bigger role than he had in Philadelphia, so he may get that opportunity with a new team.
Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles may find a logical trade partner in the Buccaneers, since GM Jason Licht hasn’t been shy about making deals since taking over the job. In Mosher’s view, Bucs safety Dashon Goldson makes sense as a trade target for Philadelphia.
The issue for the Dolphins when it comes to Mike Wallace isn’t as simple as cutting or keeping the veteran wideout, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that the team is almost certainly trying to restructure Wallace’s deal, or get him to take a pay cut.

Panthers Links: Free Agents, Offseason

January 18th, 2015 at 6:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Packers are officially in offseason mode, but their front office still needs a little time to adjust to a devastating loss to the Seahawks, blowing a 16-0 halftime lead and wasting a great defensive effort against Russell Wilson and company.

We will surely check in with them later on. For now, we’ll turn our focus to the Panthers – the team eliminated by the Seahawks a week ago (in far less dramatic fashion) – as their offseason is in full swing.

Here are some stories surrounding the Panthers 2014 season as they head into a very important offseason where they try to win the NFC South for a record-extending three straight years.

Head coach Ron Rivera might be disappointed in how the team’s season ended, but he is looking forward to taking the next step in 2015, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “I got off the airplane excited about it, when I had the opportunity to talk to the team, it really was about going forward more than anything else,” said Rivera. “I think if we can take a big step we can put ourselves in position to win the Super Bowl. We’re close. I think we can get even closer.”
Person also hands out some grades to position groups for the 2014 NFL. Among the positions that received awful grades are the offensive tackles, safeties, and special teams units. Those positions need to improve if the Panthers want to take that next step, and with Person giving the coaching staff a C grade, Rivera himself needs to be better next year.
The Charlotte Observer also puts together a list of the contract status for every Panthers player, including not only those under contract, but free agents (restricted, unrestricted, and exclusive rights) as well.
While Person is focused on some of the players the Panthers will look to retain, his colleague Jonathan Jones examines the free agent market at some of their positions of need. Assuming a few big name players re-sign with their current teams, the Panthers could realistically benefit from the additions of players like offensive tackle King Dunlap, cornerbacks Kareem Jackson and Walter Thurmond, and safeties Nate Allen and Da’Norris Searcy. Jones also picks out four receivers the team should target in Randall Cobb, Cecil Shorts, Torrey Smith, and Dwayne Bowe.

AFC Notes: Pryor, Hill, Bills

April 19th, 2014 at 1:05pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Raiders will cut Terrelle Pryor if they can’t find a trade partner by Monday, reports Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (via Twitter). The news portends an inevitable conclusion to Pryor’s time in Oakland, as the writing has been on the wall since the team traded for Matt Schaub and declared confidence in Matt McGloin as the backup.

Here’s a handful more AFC notes:

The Broncos are nearing decision time on Von Miller, who is eligible for a fifth-year option, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold details the figures, options and factors involved. Even if the team decides against the fifth-year option in the short-term, franchising Miller next year is a realistic possibility assuming he returns healthy from his ACL injury and gets back to his impact form (30 sacks between 2011 and 2012).
In a mailbag, ESPNNewYork.com’s Jane McManus shares her opinion that, in theory, the Jets “have already moved on” from 2012 second-rounder Stephen Hill, who has been a bust through two seasons.
The Bills are set at one safety spot with Aaron Williams, who is locked up until 2018. However, despite an uninspiring trio of competitors for the other starting position (Da’Norris Searcy, Duke Williams and Jonathan Meeks), the team does not seem motivated to pluck one of the top-rated safety prospects, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Rodak speculates the Bills likely won’t address safety in the draft until the middle or late rounds if at all, saying, “They could also wait another year, see what they have in those two second-year players, and re-assess the position after this season.”