HEADLINES

Darren McFadden

Raiders Re-Sign Darren McFadden

March 11th, 2014 at 5:46pm CST by Luke Adams

5:46pm: While McFadden’s contract could be worth up to the previously reported $4MM, Joel Corry of the National Football Post reports that it is mostly incentive based, and that $2.25MM is not likely to be earned (via Twitter).

4:34pm: The Raiders have re-signed McFadden to a one-year, $4MM contract, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.

3:06pm: It appears likely that Darren McFadden will agree to re-sign with the Raiders on a one-year contract, reports Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). It was reported earlier today that the team had extended an offer to the free-agent-to-be.

McFadden was rumored to be drawing “significant interest” in free agency, so if he returns to Oakland, it will be a bit of a surprise. Reports that surfaced following the end of the team’s season seemed to indicate that the Raiders were more interesting in retaining their other free agent back, Rashad Jennings. However, with Jennings drawing serious interest from the Giants, perhaps a one-year, prove-it deal could be in the best interests of both McFadden and the Raiders.

AFC Rumors: Tate, McFadden, Mitchell, Dansby

March 11th, 2014 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent receiver Golden Tate, who tweeted last night that things are “heating up” for him, could be a target for the Jaguars, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The former Seahawks notable is coming off of his most productive season ever in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns. More out of the AFC..

  • While many free agent running backs aren’t getting much play yet, Darren McFadden is one that has drawn “significant interest,” tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) hears from a league source that the Raiders have a one-year offer on the table for McFadden. The 26-year-old has missed 19 games over the last three seasons.
  • The Dolphins are in the mix for defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old is getting a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability, and his high motor.
  • The Browns are likely to pursue Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio News Group. Dansby, 32, would replace D’Qwell Jackson, who signed a four-year deal with the Colts last week. The Browns were also unsatisfied with the play of inside ‘backer Craig Robertson as the 2013 season went along.
  • The Browns are aggressively pursuing slot receivers with Davone Bess out of the picture, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Julian Edelman is a possibility as is poaching Andrew Hawkins from the Bengals.
  • Re-signing defensive tackle Antonio Johnson is a priority for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The club also has interest in holding on to Leon Washington, Marc Mariani, Damian Williams, and Chris Spencer.
  • Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) asked a Jets source for the best way to describe the organization’s free agency plan and he was told that the club will be “aggressive.”
  • The Broncos have discussed the likes of pursuing safety T.J. Ward and defensive end Jared Allen but they’re certainly not in the lead as some have implied, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
  • The Jets and Patriots will each pick up nearly an extra $2MM in cap room due to various bookkeeping technicalities, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explains in a series of tweets.

Raiders Notes: Jennings, McFadden, Houston, Draft

February 20th, 2014 at 5:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders have an important offseason ahead of them, as general manager Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen try to turn the franchise around. Here are some notes from Oakland:

  • Allen identified running back Rashad Jennings as an important piece for the Raiders to re-sign this offseason, while failing to mention fellow ball-carrier Darren McFadden, also a free agent, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. McFadden struggled with in 2013 not only with his usual array of injuries, but with ineffectiveness. Jennings picked up the slack on his way to rushing for 733 yards and six touchdowns. We learned this morning that McFadden’s representatives will speak with Raiders management at the combine on Saturday.
  • In addition to Jennings, defensive end Lamarr Houston and offensive tackle Jared Veldheer are offseason priorities, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Allen noted that the trio’s mindset will be key during negotiations. “They want to be here, and we want them here,” said the Raiders coach. “And I think when you add those two elements together, usually you’re able to get something done.”
  • In a separate piece, Bair reports the Raiders are leaning towards taking a quarterback with the fifth overall selection in the draft. Allen did note that the Raiders won’t pick a signal caller just for the sake of doing so, saying that “when you try to force a quarterback, it really sets your franchise back.” But if a QB the team likes is available at No. 5, will the Raiders take him? “Oh, sure, yeah. If they’re at the same page, if we were drafting tomorrow, probably,” said Allen, which is about as much “certainty” as a coach will offer at draft time.
  • Continuing on the quarterback theme, Allen said former Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel will be a “fun guy to…evaluate,” according to Paul Sheridan of ESPN.com.

Raiders To Meet With McFadden’s Agent

February 20th, 2014 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Darren McFadden‘s agent will meet with the Raiders this Saturday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis to discuss his client’s free agency, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Raiders aren’t viewed as likely to re-sign McFadden for 2014, but it sounds like the team is at least open to discussing the possibility.

McFadden flashed superstar potential in the 2010 season, when he racked up 1157 rushing yards and 10 overall TDs while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. However, he has been plagued by injuries in recent years, playing in just 29 of Oakland’s 48 games over the last three seasons. After missing time in 2013 due to a hamstring issue, the former fourth overall pick lost his starting job to Rashad Jennings, who will also be eligible for free agency next month.

While injuries have prevented McFadden from achieving stardom, he’s still only 26 years old, and ranks alongside Maurice Jones-Drew as one of most intriguing running backs set to hit the open market. Since he’s unlikely to re-up with the Raiders prior to March 11, it will be interesting to see what sort of offers McFadden receives next month. The Bengals are among the teams expected to have interest.

AFC Notes: Johnson, McFadden, Butler

February 1st, 2014 at 11:06am CST by Matt Feminis

The Bengals used the franchise tag on defensive end Michael Johnson a year ago, but the 27-year-old repaid the team with just 3.5 sacks in 2013, making a second tag unlikely. Consequently, he’s expected to hit the open market, but the presence of Carlos Dunlap and Wallace Gilberry could soften the blow, according to ESPN.com’s Cole Harvey.

Other AFC news and notes:

  • Harvey also mentions Raiders free agent running back Darren McFadden as a realistic acquisition given Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson’s not-so-secret appreciation for the 26-year-old, 2008 first-rounder.
  • Chargers inside linebacker Donald Butler, whose rookie deal is expiring, has missed 23 of 66 career games, but the Bolts value what he brings when healthy, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Tom Krasovic. In fact, the team drafted Manti Te’o with the intention of pairing him with Butler inside defensive coordinator John Pagano’s 3-4 front. Butler and the team discussed a contract extension last summer, and all indications suggest both sides are interested in a new deal.
  • The Ravens are expected to be awarded the league-maximum four compensatory picks, according to ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley.