Emmanuel Sanders - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Cason, Allen, Mariani, Hester

March 18th, 2014 at 9:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Three candidates have emerged to succeed Domonique Foxworth as NFLPA president, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Saints tight end Ben Watson, free-agent tackle Eric Winston, and free-agent safety Ryan Clark will make their speeches Wednesday before the 32 team representatives vote for a new president. More from around the NFL..

In addition to cornerback Terrell Thomas, who was in for a visit today, the Panthers are also looking at corner Antoine Cason, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Garafolo figures that Carolina could sign one or both cornerbacks to boost their secondary.
Defensive end Jared Allen is unlikely to sign with the Cowboys after visiting today, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Dallas became less likely for the veteran when the Cowboys agreed to sign fellow defensive lineman Henry Melton earlier this evening.
The Chargers worked out former Titans wide receiver/kick returner/punter Marc Mariani, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Mariani has struggled to stay healthy in the past. The 26-year-old missed the entire 2012 season after snapping the tibula and fibula in his left leg and spent the entire 2013 season on Tennessee’s injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in training camp.
Top draft prospect Teddy Bridgewater met with the Texans, Jaguars, and Raiders after his pro-day workout at Louisville, tweets Brian Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
In a conference call with reporters, Chiefs GM John Dorsey said contract extension talks with Alex Smith are ongoing, tweets Herbie Teope of the Associated Press. Dorsey did not offer a timetable for a resolution with his starting quarterback. On the call, Dorsey went on to discuss the club’s near deal with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders who wound up signing with the Broncos, writes Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star.
Rex Ryan and Jets GM John Idzik were at Florida State Pro Day to check out 6’5″, 240-pound wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin today, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Safety Craig Steltz‘s one-year deal with the Bears is for the veteran’s minimum of $730K, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (on Twitter). Steltz can also earn another $65K in roster bonuses.
A source close to free agent return man Devin Hester tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN (on Twitter) that the former Bears standout is still in Atlanta and very much in the picture for the Falcons.

FA Notes: Moore, Jordan, Carrington, Ford

March 18th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We heard earlier in the week that wide receiver Lance Moore would visit the Steelers today, but it sounds like that meeting will happen tomorrow instead, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter). Here’s more on a few free agents looking for jobs:

Free agent linebacker Akeem Jordan visited with the Redskins today, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Jordan reportedly met with the Titans last week.
The Rams remain interested in defensive lineman Alex Carrington but have yet to set up a visit, says Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
Speaking to Josina Anderson of ESPN (TwitLonger link), wide receiver Jacoby Ford confirmed that the Jets have expressed interest in him. “I would say they’re the team showing the most interest in me,” Ford said. “Right now we’re still in the exploration phase, weighing things out.”
In their search for receivers, the Jets called Emmanuel Sanders‘ camp on Saturday to try to reschedule a visit for the free agent, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets had originally scheduled a meeting for last week but had to back out due to a scheduling conflict, and by the time the team attempted to set up another one, it was too late.
As the Cardinals consider cornerbacks like Mike Jenkins and Antonio Cromartie, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link) gets the sense that the club is waiting to see if anyone’s price tag drops.
The Vikings have inquired on free agent defensive end Robert Ayers, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.

Contract Details: DRC, Hauschka, Edelman

March 18th, 2014 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve got plenty more contract details to round up, so let’s dive right in….

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and Albert Breer of the NFL Network pass along several key details on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie‘s contract with the Giants, which seems to include $12MM in fully guaranteed money, and a little more in salary guaranteed for injury only. Here are the relevant Twitter links to read up on all the specifics.
Wilson also shares the specifics on Steven Hauschka‘s three-year contract with the Seahawks (Twitter link), Walter Thurmond‘s one-year deal with the Giants (Twitter link), and Dane Fletcher‘s one-year deal with the Bucs (Twitter link).
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has been doing a great job all week getting finalized contract details up in his database, and he passed along several new entries today. Among them: The Raiders‘ two-year deals for LaMarr Woodley and Justin Tuck, the Eagles‘ extension for Darren Sproles, and the Saints‘ five-year pact with Zach Strief.
Julian Edelman received a $5MM signing bonus from the Patriots on his new contract, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
John Keim of ESPN.com has the details on Santana Moss‘ minimum salary benefit contract and Clifton Geathers‘ two-year deal with the Redskins.
Although Michael Oher‘s four-year deal with the Titans was initially reported as including $9.5MM in guaranteed money, it’s actually a little less than that, and only $6MM is fully guaranteed, with another $3.35MM guaranteed for injury only. Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com has the details.
Emmanuel Sanders‘ three-year, $15MM contract with the Broncos features $6MM in guaranteed money and cap hits of $6MM (2014), $4MM (2015), and $5MM (2016), tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
Updating his earlier report on Charles Tillman‘s contract with the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the deal includes $150K in performance incentives (based on total interceptions), so it could max out at $3.4MM instead of $3.25MM.
Frank Zombo‘s two-year deal with the Chiefs is worth $1.6MM and includes a $100K signing bonus, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. A minimum-salary deal for Zombo with a $100K bonus would work out to $1.575MM, so either that $1.6MM figure is rounded up, or the linebacker received slightly more than the minimum.

Extra Points: DRC, Miller, Sanders, Saffold

March 18th, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Following up on a piece he wrote about Jets GM John Idzik‘s deliberate – and perhaps questionable – approach to free agency, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that, after an initial low-ball offer, the Jets made an “11th hour” pitch to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. However, the Giants had essentially locked up the free agent cornerback by that point.

Here are a few more Tuesday updates from around the NFL:

In a series of tweets, Tom Pelissero of USA Today breaks down the details on Zach Miller‘s pay cut with the Seahawks, which will reduce the tight end’s 2014 compensation by $3MM and his 2015 pay by $2MM.
After missing out on Emmanuel Sanders, the Chiefs continue to target younger wide receivers in free agency, which rules out some of the older veterans on the market, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
Speaking of Sanders, his agents issued a lengthy statement suggesting that there was never an agreement in place with the Chiefs before the receiver agreed to sign with the Broncos, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post details.
In the wake of the Sanders controversy, former agent Joel Corry points out in a piece for CBSSports.com that both agents and teams can be guilty of reneging on deals.
Aaron Wilson (Twitter links) passes along the specifics of the Rodger Saffold contract with the Rams, which includes a $5MM signing bonus, a $3MM roster bonus for 2015, and a $3MM guaranteed base salary in 2014. As Joel Corry tweets, the Raiders‘ decision to void their agreement with Saffold will cost the offensive lineman a significant sum.
Daryl Smith‘s contract with the Ravens includes a $3.5MM signing bonus, and that appears to be the only guaranteed money in the deal, as Aaron Wilson details in a pair of tweets. According to Wilson, the four-year pact can be worth up to $16.1MM, as initially reported, but it has a base value of just $13.6MM.
Jack Bechta of the National Football Post identifies the Colts‘ signing of Hakeem Nicks and the Buccaneers‘ deal with Alterraun Verner as two of the best bargains in free agency so far. Among our top 25 free agents of 2014, Nicks and Verner are two who will earn markedly less than I anticipated.

FA Links: Sanders, Allen, Hester

March 16th, 2014 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Before he signed with the Broncos, there were rumblings that receiver Emmanuel Sanders might end up with the Chiefs. There was so much to those rumors that even the team thought they were going to land the free agent, but it all ended up being a clever strategy by the former Steelers’ agent, Steve Weinberg. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, many executives around the league aren’t happy with how the Sanders talks were handled, with one team official saying the Weinberg broke “every rule in negotiations”. In his press conference today, Sanders said there was “no handshake” and “no kind of agreement” with the Chiefs.

Broncos Sign Emmanuel Sanders

March 16th, 2014 at 1:57pm CST by Rory Parks

1:57pm: The Broncos have officially announced the transaction.

12:20pm: After he allegedly accepted a deal with the Chiefs, the Broncos officially announced that they have signed former Steelers wideout Emmanuel Sanders, tweets ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that it is a three-year, $15MM deal, and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that it is worth a maximum of $18MM with escalators.

Assuming he passes his physical, a press conference is scheduled for 1:30 MST, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today.

Broncos Expected To Sign Emmanuel Sanders

March 16th, 2014 at 10:48am CST by Peter Sowards

SUNDAY, 10:48am: The Broncos intend to proceed with the Sanders deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweeted that Sanders will take his physical at Dove Valley this morning and is expected to sign a three-year deal.

SUNDAY, 9:08am: In an interesting twist to the Sanders saga, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport writes that Sanders’ agent, Steve Weinberg, had originally accepted a deal with the Chiefs on his client’s behalf. However, Weinberg then shopped Kansas City’s offer to Tampa Bay without telling the Buccaneers that the offer had already been accepted. Ultimately, of course, Sanders agreed to sign with Denver.

Weinberg declined to comment, but there will undoubtedly be more fallout from this development in the coming days. For instance, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star wonders (via Twitter) who the Chiefs might have missed out on because they thought they had Sanders locked up. Paylor notes that Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell both signed with New England on Saturday.

SATURDAY, 8:34pm: A source has confirmed to FOX Sports 1 that the Broncos agreed to contract terms with Sanders, Alex Marvez reports (via Twitter).

SATURDAY, 8:18pm: After losing Eric Decker to the Jets in free agency, the Broncos are expected to fill the void by signing former Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders, league sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The ESPN article notes that Sanders is looking for a contract similar to the one Golden Tate signed with the Lions (five years, $31.5MM, $13.25MM guaranteed).

Denver has been the biggest newsmaker in free agency thus far, with high-profile signings of Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward. Now it seems that general manager John Elway is setting his sights on the offense, and Sanders brings a skill set that figures to be well-utilized by Peyton Manning. The fourth-year receiver from Southern Methodist set career highs in receptions (67), yards (740) and touchdowns (six) in 2013 with the Steelers, starting 11 games.

Sanders’ name had been associated with a multitude of teams since free agency began. Schefter reported that the 49ers were to host Sanders today after being hosted by the Chiefs yesterday. Before that, he’d been linked to or visited with the Jets, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Ravens and Browns.

The Broncos appear to have just under $12MM in cap room before the Sanders signing, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.

FA Rumors: Vikings, 49ers, DRC, Cowboys

March 14th, 2014 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings GM Rick Spielman spoke to reporters on a conference call today, and indicated that his team is “not by any means finished” in free agency, and will continue to be aggressive in exploring potential upgrades (Twitter links via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). According to Spielman, the Vikings still have interest in free agents Charlie Johnson and Kevin Williams, and have spoken to Williams’ agent recently (Twitter links via Tomasson).

Here are plenty more afternoon free agent rumors from around the NFL:

After meeting with the Chiefs today, Emmanuel Sanders‘ next visit will be with the 49ers, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The free agent wide receiver, who has also visited the Jaguars and Buccaneers this week, will be staying in Kansas City overnight, so the Chiefs still have a chance to lock him up before he reaches San Francisco, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com gets the sense that Julian Edelman‘s visit with the 49ers is more a feeling out process for both sides than an indication anything is imminent (Twitter link).
Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is heading to New York tonight to meet with the Jets, reports Schefter (via Twitter).
The Seahawks have expressed interest in bringing back wide receiver Sidney Rice, who was released by the club earlier in the offseason, writes Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.
In addition to having some interest in Julius Peppers, as we heard earlier, the Cowboys are keeping an eye on Jared Allen and would be interested if his price falls, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Free agent tight ends Jermichael Finley and Ed Dickson don’t appear to be in the Giants‘ plans for now, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).
Free agent guard Daryn Colledge met with the Rams today, and is now off to meet with the Raiders, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Bengals have confirmed that two offensive linemen, Vlad Ducasse and Uche Nwaneri, both visited the team today, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

FA Rumors: Rice, Sanders, Thurmond, Melton

March 13th, 2014 at 8:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors..

The 49ers will host Julian Edelman on Friday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter). The club is also interested in Hakeem Nicks.
Jermichael Finley left his meeting with the Seahawks without a contract, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).
The Seahawks are now interested in re-signing Sidney Rice, who was a salary cap casualty earlier in the offseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Jets still have interest in Emmanuel Sanders, but they had to reschedule his visit due to conflicts, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He’ll pay the Chiefs a visit tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The Ravens have yet to get involved, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
Cornerback Walter Thurmond told his fans via Twitter that he had a great meeting with the Jaguars and noted that the club is “headed in the right direction.” Thurmond’s next stop is San Francisco.
Henry Melton plans to spend the rest of the evening in Minnesota with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.
Ryan Clark tweeted to Richard Sherman to let him know his visit with the Redskins went well. Now he says that “the money guys have to work.”
The Panthers aren’t showing interest in Hakeem Nicks yet, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It should be noted that this report came out before Carolina officially said goodbye to Steve Smith. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reported this evening that the Panthers indeed have interest.
Jets free agent guard Vlad Ducasse will visit the Bengals before coming to the Vikings, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (on Twitter).
The Cardinals are still negotiating with Ben Dogra, the agent for Antonio Cromartie, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. This one isn’t as easy as some other deals, Somers adds.
The Steelers are bringing Chargers free agent nose tackle Cam Thomas for a visit on Friday, tweets Alan Robinson, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. If he’s put in the middle, San Diego can move Steve McLendon over to defensive end.

FA Rumors: Sanders, Tillman, Britt, Osgood

March 13th, 2014 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

Emmanuel Sanders is a hot commodity and he has a full docket for the first week of free agency. After his visit with the Jaguars, he’s headed over to Tampa Bay to visit the Buccaneers, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Here are the latest free agent rumors..

Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Charles Tillman is unlikely to sign with the Buccaneers. There has been a great deal of talk over the last 24 hours about Tampa Bay pairing the former Bears corner with new acquisition Alterraun Verner.
Four or five teams have interest in free agent wide receiver Kenny Britt, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Redskins have been linked to the troubled athlete and Florio speculates that the Patriots could be interested as well.
The 49ers want to bring back wide receiver Kassim Osgood, but they might not do so until they sign a cornerback and determine how much cap space they have left, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is visiting the Titans on Thursday and there’s a real scenario where he could be team’s No. 2 quarterback this fall, Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean tweets.
Cornerback Walter Thurmond completed his visit with the Jaguars and he’s now spending time with Seahawks officials. His next stops will be Washington to visit the Redskins and Tampa Bay to visit the Buccaneers, tweets Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com.
Agent Eugene Parker tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) that Bears free agent return man Devin Hester doesn’t have any visits scheduled yet.