HEADLINES

Geoff Schwartz

East Notes: Giants, Jennings, Woodyard

March 11th, 2014 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are still in the mix for center Evan Dietrich-Smith, but it appears that guard Geoff Schwartz is their more immediate priority, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger says the club appears to be looking in house at center. Offensive lineman Kevin Boothe, who started six games at center last season, is being viewed as the possible short-term answer.

  • The Giants have made an offer to free agent running back Rashad Jennings, a league source tells Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). The Raiders, meanwhile, would like to hang on to the tailback.
  • Despite interest from the Cowboys, a source close to Wesley Woodyard told Brandon Krisztal of the Denver Post (on Twitter) that his first trip is to the Patriots with another team visit planned after.
  • Tyson Jackson is getting an impressive amount of interest with suitors including the Dolphins, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Browns and Falcons are also interested while the Chiefs are still in the mix.

Giants, Two Others In Mix For Geoff Schwartz

March 11th, 2014 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are one of three teams currently in the mix for Geoff Schwartz, according to Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). Earlier this week, we learned that the Rams also have interest in the former Chiefs guard after releasing veteran guard Harvey Dahl.

The 27-year-old moved into the starting lineup at right guard for Kansas City late in the season. The Chiefs will have to work diligently to make sure their offensive line is solid in 2014. In addition to Schwartz, KC’s other primary right guard, Jon Asamoah, is also on the verge of hitting unrestricted free agency.

Schwartz was a seventh-round pick of the Panthers in 2008 and made enough of a mark there to see time in all 16 games during his rookie season, including three starts. In his sophomore campaign, he started all 16 games at right guard. He went a couple of years without another start until this past season with KC.

FA Roundup: Woodley, Allen, Tuck, Mack

March 10th, 2014 at 10:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest on the free agent front:

  • Many in the Steelers organization believe that linebacker LaMarr Woodley will end up in Tennessee, where he would be reunited with former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton, who is now the defensive coordinator with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • La Canfora also notes that those involved in the defensive end market expect Jared Allen to sign with the Broncos, and Justin Tuck to return to the Giants (Twitter link).
  • Alex Mack‘s agent tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that he believes he can find his client an offer sheet the Browns may not match. That’s not to say that Mack wants out of Cleveland. However, as a transition player, his best chance of a long-term payday involves signing an offer sheet, and no rival teams will spend time negotiating that offer if they expect the Browns to simply match it.
  • The Buccaneers have not yet asked left tackle Donald Penn to take a pay cut, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
  • With Alterraun Verner expected to be out of their price range, the Giants are eyeing other cornerbacks, and have expressed interest in Corey Graham, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
  • Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz will not return to the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell will not return to the Texans, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. We noted earlier today that the Chargers will pursue Mitchell.
  • The Cardinals have interest in cornerback Mike Jenkins, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
  • Re-signing with the Buccaneers remains a possibility for linebacker Dekoda Watson, but he’ll test the market and begin visiting other teams, starting tomorrow, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • The Eagles have contacted several free agents, and among them are Lamarr Houston, Graham, and Nolan Carroll, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Jets Have Sights Set On Asamoah

March 8th, 2014 at 9:17am CST by Matt Feminis

“Legal tampering” begins at 11 a.m. CT, when the NFL’s three-day negotiating window opens, allowing teams to discuss deals with impending free agents. The Jets will waste no time in an effort to upgrade their offensive line, as the team is planning to lure Chiefs free agent offensive guard Jon Asamoah, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Despite losing his starting job to Geoff Schwartz late in the season, the 26-year-old Asamoah has 41 career starts under his belt and will have multiple suitors, including the Falcons and Chargers, writes Mehta. He is considered a better pass protector than run blocker.

The Jets are seeking to upgrade from Willie Colon, who started 16 games at right guard last season before tearing a biceps tendon in Week 17. He is considered a “back-burner option.” Meanwhile, the team is negotiating to retain right tackle Austin Howard, who has started all 32 games the last two seasons.

NFC East Notes: Jordan, Eagles, ‘Skins, Giants

March 2nd, 2014 at 1:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan is actually on the trade block, as some reports suggest, the Eagles would make for an exceptional trade partner, writes Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com. While Jordan struggled mightily in his first season in Miami, he did play under Eagles head coach Chip Kelly while both were at Oregon. Kelly, who had Jordan rated among the top four prospects in the 2013 draft, would seem to know exactly how to get the best production of the second-year end. As far as compensation, Sheridan notes that while the Dolphins could be interested in defensive end Brandon Graham or running back Bryce Brown, the most likely scenario would entail the Eagles sending draft picks to South Beach in exchange for Jordan.

Other notes from around the NFC East:

  • In a mailbag segment, Sheridan argues that the Eagles should let safety Nate Allen leave via free agency, writing that a fresh start would be best for both player and team. He goes on to list safety, edge rusher, and cornerback as the three most important positions for the Eagles to fill this offseason.
  • Geoff Mosher and Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com profile free agent defensive end Lamarr Houston, and examine his fit with the Eagles. Mosher doesn’t think Houston would be enough of an upgrade to be worth the dollars he will command, while Franks believes Houston’s time with an unwatchable Raiders squad might depress his value.
  • There are several names that could be of interest to the Redskins when free agency begins, writes Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com. He lists defensive end Arthur Jones, offensive guard Geoff Schwartz, and linebacker Brandon Spikes as possible fits. The Redskins have almost $30MM in cap space with which to work.
  • In a piece for CSNWashington.com, Tandler notes that the NFL Network’s Charley Casserly believes the Redskins will look to get bigger along the offensive line. “If you think of [new Redskins head coach Jay] Gruden in Cincinnati, they had a much bigger offensive line than what he’s inheriting in Washington,” said Casserly. “So they need to get bigger to be able to drop-back pass better.”
  • Donald Brown, Ben Tate, and Rashad Jennings could all be options for the Giants at running back, opines Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The team could also look to re-sign Andre Brown, and hope for contributions from David Wilson as he recovers from a neck injury.

West Notes: Woodson, Dawson, Tate, Schwartz

February 28th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jaguars aren’t the only team that are getting the short end of the stick with the surprisingly high salary cap, as the Raiders now have a whopping $66.512MM in cap space according to OverTheCap.com. While the Raiders will get a little extra cap room, the new cap number mitigates the team’s advantage this offseason, writes Nick Gill of SportsMedia101.com. The extra cap room will allow the 31 other franchises more flexibility to re-sign their own free agents, so the Raiders will never be able to court them in the open market. It also will give other teams more money to compete with the Raiders for the free agents that do become available this offseason.

Here are some other notes from our two divisions out west:

  • One of the seemingly easy moves for the Raiders was thought to be re-signing Charles Woodson, but the contract talks have been rougher than expected, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. After receiving $3.3MM in salary and incentives in 2013, Woodson believes he has proven he is still a valuable NFL safety. While Woodson wants to play, he said he would consider retirement if the price was not right.
  • Staying in the bay area, the 49ers have seen a market unfold for signing kicker Phil Dawson, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. With Nick Folk being franchised and Graham Gano getting a long-term deal, both kickers will be making north of $3MM per season. Dawson has been better than both kickers over the past two seasons.
  • While the 49ers work on retaining their kicker, their rival Seahawks have cleared cap space and have opened up some space that could be used on receiver Golden Tate, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “Hopefully, I can call Seattle home for a few more years,” said Tate. “But we’ll see. I know that coach (Pete) Carroll has expressed that he would like to have me on the team, and I have expressed that I would like to stay on this team because I see this team winning for a long time. But we will see. Only time will tell.’’
  • The Chiefs met with the representation of guard Geoff Schwartz during the scouting combine, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. The Chiefs are interested in retaining Schwartz, but Paylor writes that the two are not close to an agreement. Schwartz played in 14 games in 2013, filling in at both guard and tackle.

AFC West Notes: Watkins, Pryor, Chiefs

February 23rd, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here’s a few notes from the AFC West focusing on the draft and free agency:

  • Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins is an option for the Raiders with the fifth overall pick, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Watkins ran a 4.43 40-yard-dash, which was somewhat disappointing, but Bair doesn’t expect it to affect his draft stock. The Raiders have a history of selecting big, speedy receivers, and some believe Watkins could have the same type of immediate effect that A.J. Green and Julio Jones did in their rookie seasons.
  • In his latest mailbag, ESPN.com’s Paul Guiterrez notes that quarterback Terrelle Pryor could become trade bait. Coach Dennis Allen specifically noted that fellow QB Matt McGloin has a future with the Raiders, but made no such declaration about Pryor.
  • Guiterrez also reports that Raiders offensive lineman Mike Brisiel could be released, if he doesn’t retire first.
  • Eric Berry is a candidate for a contract extension with the Chiefs, writes Adam Teichel of ESPN.com. Berry is heading into the final season of his current deal.
  • Teichel goes on to note that the Chiefs could probably re-sign both free agent offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and Jon Asamoah for what it would cost to retain tackle Branden Albert, also a free agent. However, Schwartz wants to be a starter, and will likely not accept an offer to return as a backup.
  • The Chiefs would only consider drafting a quarterback if things looked bleak regarding an Alex Smith extension, says Teichel.
  • The wide receiver draft class is deep, which is a positive for the Chargers as they look for a play-maker to pair with Keenan Allen, writes ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams.

AFC Notes: Pouncey, Chiefs, Satele, McGlynn

February 22nd, 2014 at 12:20pm CST by Matt Feminis
    • “The Ted Wells report most likely saved the Dolphins a lot of money when it comes to Mike Pouncey,” says ESPN.com’s James Walker. Pouncey is a 24-year-old Pro Bowler, but his part in the bullying of Jonathan Martin “is reason enough to deny Pouncey a long-term extension,” according to Walker, who believes rewarding Pouncey would send a bad message.
    • The Chiefs will not have to release any players for cap purposes, believes ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, who also says the team must retain two of the three starting offensive linemen scheduled to hit free agency: Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz. Says Teicher: “[The Chiefs] might be able to get Schwartz and Asamoah for what they could pay Albert. That’s what makes the most sense. But I know Schwartz wants to be a starter (and get paid like one). I don’t blame him. He won’t come back for a backup job or backup money unless he can’t get better somewhere else. That’s true for Asamoah, too. So the Chiefs may be forced to choose between Schwartz and Asamoah and look elsewhere for their backups.”
    • Colts center Samson Satele did not get a ringing endorsement from GM Ryan Grigson, says ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. Satele’s roster spot could be in jeopardy, as he struggled last season and counts $5.1MM against the 2014 salary cap. Additionally, Wells mentions some scouts think Mike McGlynn, a free agent-to-be, is a better option. The team also spent a fourth-round pick on Khaled Holmes, a developmental center out of USC.