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Eugene Monroe

Eugene Monroe, Ravens Negotiating

March 10th, 2014 at 5:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe might yet return to the Ravens, as Albert Breer of NFL.com remains the two parties are “deep in constructive talks” (via Twitter). The offensive tackle market appears to be rounding in to form, as Branden Albert is overwhelmingly likely to sign with the Dolphins tomorrow, and rumors abound that Jared Veldheer will be heading to the Cardinals. Monroe, however, rated higher than either of them in Pro Football Focus’ metrics, coming in as the tenth best left tackle last season.

The Ravens, who acquired Monroe last season from the Jaguars, reportedly would like to pay the left tackle $8-9MM per season, while Monroe would like to average closer to $10MM annually. Monroe might be able to reach his asking price, as reports say that the Dolphins are likely to pay Albert around $10MM per season. Monroe is three years younger than Albert. The Ravens, meanwhile, need to solidify their offensive line, as right tackle Michael Oher is also a free agent.

King On Albert, Monroe, Raiders, Byrd, Vick

March 10th, 2014 at 7:28am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column at TheMMQB.com, Peter King tackles free agency, writing that cornerbacks and offensive tackles look poised to become the biggest beneficiaries of the extra cap space around the NFL. As King writes, Sam Shields‘ four-year deal from the Packers improves the negotiating positions of the top corners on the market, meaning Alterraun Verner, Vontae Davis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Aqib Talib should all get $8MM+ per year. Here’s more from King on free agency:

  • While the Giants are pursuing Verner, King is skeptical they’d pay the free agent cornerback $10MM per year, which is what he may cost.
  • The Dolphins look ready to “blow the opposition out of the water” for offensive tackle Branden Albert, perhaps with a long-term offer worth $10-11MM year. In that event, the Cardinals would strongly pursue Jared Veldheer, and the Raiders would likely shift their attention to Rodger Saffold, according to King, who adds that the tackles will likely be the first free agent dominoes to fall.
  • The offensive tackle shuffle could leave the Ravens with the player they’ve wanted all along: Incumbent starter Eugene Monroe. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported last night that the Ravens remain in contact with Monroe and are still hopeful they can re-sign him.
  • King hears that Veldheer and fellow Raiders free agent Lamarr Houston are very interested in testing the free agent market and “getting a golden parachute out of Oakland.”
  • Jairus Byrd is seeking $9MM per year, but King can’t figure out which team will be willing to pay him that.
  • King identifies the 49ers as a dark horse candidate for Michael Vick, if Vick doesn’t find an opportunity to start.
  • Discussing receivers, King writes that the Browns should be in the mix for Eric Decker and also could be a good landing spot for Julian Edelman. He adds that Golden Tate will likely “get more action” than expected.

FA Rumors: O-Line, Davis, Vinatieri, Campbell

March 9th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Ben Levine

The market for offensive linemen is beginning to heat up, and Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun has a couple of predictions from league sources. In one of his tweets, he identifies potential landing spots for Branden Albert (Dolphins), Jared Veldheer (Cardinals), Rodger Saffold (Raiders), Anthony Collins (Buccaneers) and Eugene Monroe (Ravens). In another tweet, he mentions that the Raiders have already talked to Saffold and Monroe, while the Buccaneers have contacted Saffold and Collins.

A couple of more notes on available (and potential) free agents…

  • The Colts are nearing a deal with Vontae Davis, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The deal is expected to be finished on Monday. However, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star says a deal is not close (via Twitter).
  • The Colts are also talking with Adam Vinatieri, but it appears that the kicker will test the market, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
  • With Jason Campbell set to receive a $250K bonus, the Browns may choose to cut or trade the quarterback, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The bonus is due on the third day of the league year, which would be this Thursday.
  • When asked if the Jaguars would get a deal done with Will Blackmon, John Oehser of Jaguars.com responded “yes” (via Twitter).

AFC East Notes: Byrd, Verner, Dolphins

March 8th, 2014 at 4:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bills did not place the franchise tag on safety Jairus Byrd, electing to instead sign safety Aaron Williams to a long-term contract. However, Williams says that Byrd still wants to return to the Bills, writes Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk.

Williams said that the two safeties have a great friendship and talk all the time. Byrd and the Bills are still able to come to an agreement on a deal to keep him in Buffalo for a long time.

Here are some other free agency notes from around the AFC East:

Eugene Monroe Unlikely To Return To Ravens

March 7th, 2014 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Contract talks between the Ravens and left tackle Eugene Monroe are at a standstill, sources tell Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter link), who reports that the free-agent-to-be appears unlikely to return to Baltimore. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun is hearing the same thing, tweeting that Monroe will test the open market and likely won’t re-sign with Baltimore, given the sort of offers expected from other suitors.

Monroe, who was acquired by the Ravens in a trade with the Jaguars last season, is viewed as one of the top tackles among this year’s class of free agents, along with Branden Albert of the Chiefs and Jared Veldheer of the Raiders. The Dolphins and Cardinals are a couple teams expected to seriously pursue a left tackle in free agency, and the Raiders could enter the mix for Monroe if they’re unable to lock up Veldheer.

According to Zenitz (Twitter link), Monroe is seeking a long-term deal that averages about $10MM annually, while the Ravens would prefer to pay closer to $8MM or $9MM per year. On the surface, that doesn’t seem like an insurmountable gap to bridge, but those annual salaries add up to a significant disparity over a four- or five-year contract, and the two sides could also disagree over the amount of guaranteed money.

As OverTheCap.com’s data shows, a salary of $10MM per year would make Monroe one of the top five highest-paid left tackles in the NFL by annual salary.

FA Rumors: Monroe, Ward, Dolphins, Hester

March 4th, 2014 at 7:38pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve already passed along one round of free agent rumors this afternoon, but with the 2014 FA period just a few days away from officially getting underway, there will be plenty more items to track in the near future. In fact, we’ve already got another handful of updates to run through:

  • Left tackle Eugene Monroe and the Ravens remain far apart in talks on a new contract, reports Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. It’s still possible that the two sides could work out an agreement, but it appears unlikely to happen before Monroe becomes eligible to hit the open market and negotiate with other clubs, says Zenitz. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) also hears that the sides are still far apart, though he says there were no new negotiations today, meaning things haven’t gotten any worse.
  • The agent of Browns safety T.J. Ward has released a statement about his free agent client to the Akron Beacon Journal, as Nate Ulrich details. It reads, in part: “With the passing of the franchise/transition tag deadline, we remain open to further discussions with the Browns in working towards a long-term deal and look forward to that possibility. However, if things don’t work out in Cleveland, we likewise look forward to the opportunity that can coincide with becoming an unrestricted free agent.”
  • To the surprise of the players’ agents, the Dolphins have yet to make contract offers to free-agent-to-be defensive tackles Randy Starks and Paul Soliai, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
  • It looks like Ernie Sims won’t return to the Cowboys, according to ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins, who says the team wants to get younger at its backup linebacker spots (Twitter link).
  • The Raiders have tendered contracts to five of their exclusive rights free agents, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Offensive linemen Matt McCants is eligible for the minimum salary for players with one year of NFL experience ($495K), while linebacker Kaelin Burnett, running backs Jamize Olawale and Jeremy Stewart, and cornerback Brandian Ross are eligible for the two-year minimum ($570K). All five players have to accept the tenders if they want to play in the NFL next season.
  • The Buccaneers aren’t expected to tender a contract to restricted free agent tight end Kyle Adams, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The team would still have the option of trying to re-sign Adams for less than the RFA tender amount.
  • The Bears are making no attempts to sign Devin Hester, meaning the return specialist appears likely to leave Chicago this offseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • When the Redskins released Adam Carriker today, I wrote that the defensive end would likely have to sign with another team if he hopes to return to the field in 2014, and John Keim of ESPN.com confirms as much (via Twitter). A source tells Keim that Washington won’t re-sign Carriker at a lower price.
  • The Giants have tendered contracts to Spencer Paysinger ($1.431M) and Dallas Reynolds ($570K) while the Browns tendered Craig Robertson ($570K), according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter).

 

AFC North Links: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

March 3rd, 2014 at 6:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Andy Dalton is entering the final year of his contract and Coley Harvey of ESPN.com discusses whether the Bengals should re-sign their quarterback prior to him reaching free agency. At this moment, Harvey thinks the team should pay its third-year player this offseason. It would certainly be a gamble by the Bengals either way, as an unsigned Dalton could lead his team deep in the playoffs and demand a huge payday next offseason. Reversely, Dalton could sign and continue to fail in leading the club through the postseason.

Other rumblings from the AFC North…

  • The Ravens have not started contract talks with Michael Oher and are not expected to, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson says the team is instead focusing on re-signing Eugene Monroe.
  • The Ravens made the right choice in not using the franchise tag on Monroe, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. While the team needs a left tackle (and while Monroe certainly played well in that role last season), Hensley believes that it wouldn’t have been worth it for the team to dedicate such a large portion of their cap to the position. The writer says it makes more sense to sign Monroe to a long-term deal.
  • The Steelers used their transition tag on Jason Worilds earlier today, but there’s no guarantee that he returns, Scott Brown of ESPN.com says. All it would take for Worilds to leave is one team slightly overpaying, and Brown doesn’t sound too optimistic that the Steelers would match a huge offer.

Ravens, Monroe Remain Far Apart In Talks

March 3rd, 2014 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

While the two sides continue to talk, the Ravens and left tackle Eugene Monroe remain “far apart” in negotiations on a new contract, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, some progress has been made and both Monroe and the team would like to work something out, but as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com noted last week, there’s still a gap to bridge.

If the two sides haven’t reached a compromise by 3:00pm CT today, which looks like a long shot, the Ravens could turn to the franchise tag. Some teams are reluctant to tag offensive linemen because the franchise salary for the position is determined by the highest-paid left tackles, meaning it will be worth about $11.65MM in 2014. For someone like Monroe though, who actually plays that position, the one-year cost may represent a worthwhile investment. Having reached a long-term agreement with Dennis Pitta, the Ravens no longer need to use their franchise tag on their tight end, and Wilson hears from a source that the team has considered the possibility of tagging Monroe.

Whether or not the Ravens decide to franchise Monroe, the two sides will have another week to work out a long-term deal before the ex-Jaguar can officially hit the open market. If he does reach unrestricted free agency, Monroe figures to be one of the top tackles available, and should draw interest from the Dolphins and Cardinals, among other teams.

AFC North Notes: Free Agency, Oher, Rubin

February 28th, 2014 at 7:13pm CST by Rob DiRe

The unexpected salary cap has left many teams feeling better about their situations, and the Bengals are also reaping the benefits of the extra cap space, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. The team only has two starters set to hit free agency, in Michael Johnson and Anthony Collins. They also have a number of lesser players such as Dane Sanzenbacher, Andrew Hawkins, Brandon Tate, and Mike Pollak. Hobson writes that the team has already contacted most if not all the players’ agents, but will keep in mind that extensions for Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, Vontaze Burfict, and Domata Peko will be coming in the near future.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • The Steelers could have trouble re-signing some of their notable free agents once they hit the market, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Brown writes that the team is unlikely to match or exceed offers that Jason Worilds, Emmanuel Sanders, and Ziggy Hood could command on the free market.
  • The Ravens have not made a decision regarding their two free agent tackles, Michael Oher and Eugene Monroe, writes Jamison Henley of ESPN.com. While most pundits and fans do not believe the team will be able to re-sign both players, head coach John Harbaugh has not ruled out bringing back both players. Henley writes that if the team fails to retain Monroe, than it would be more likely that they bring back Oher to play left tackle.
  • While Ahtyba Rubin is considered a likely cap casualty for the Browns, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Tom Reed of Cleveland.com writes that the team would be making a mistake in doing so. Reed believes that the cap space the team would save is minimal compared to the talent and leadership they would be losing along their defensive line.

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Browns

February 27th, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals could scour free agency this offseason for a backup quarterback, but don’t expect the team to look at a high-end free agent like Michael Vick to push Andy Dalton. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the Bengals don’t have any interest in the prospective free agent, and adds that the club doesn’t want to “shake Dalton’s faith” by injecting Vick into the mix.

Here are a few more items from around the AFC North:

  • There’s still a “great gap to bridge” in negotiations between the Ravens and free agent left tackle Eugene Monroe, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Talks continue between the two sides, with the team hoping to lock up Monroe before the free agent period.
  • La Canfora adds in another tweet that he wouldn’t be shocked if Dennis Pitta and the Ravens reach a multiyear contract agreement before the franchise tag is necessary, or perhaps shortly after tagging him. In other words, it doesn’t sound like he expects the situation to reach a point where an arbitrator needs to make a decision on Pitta’s position (tight end or wide receiver).
  • Punter Sam Koch is a potential cap casualty for the Ravens, but with the salary cap increase expected to be larger than originally anticipated, the team could potentially carry Koch’s $2.8MM number, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
  • In the wake of D’Qwell Jackson’s somewhat surprising release, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com takes a look at a few other players with whom the Browns may part ways in the near future.
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