Greg Hardy - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys, Seahawks, Bucs In On Greg Hardy

March 17th, 2015 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

1:15pm: Like the Bucs, the Seahawks have denied that they have a formal visit scheduled for Hardy, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Multiple reporters, including Condotta, have been told by a source that the defensive end will visit Seattle, so it sounds like Hardy’s camp is saying one thing while his potential suitors are saying another. The Seahawks did confirm to Condotta that they’re doing “due diligence” on Hardy.

12:37pm: The Bucs tell Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that their discussions with Hardy have been “exploratory” in nature, and that they don’t have an official visit lined up yet. I’d expect if Hardy leaves Dallas and Seattle without a deal in place, he’d finalize plans to visit Tampa Bay as well.

11:08am: Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports confirms (via Twitter) that Hardy is also scheduled to travel to Tampa Bay to meet with the Bucs later this week.

10:52am: According to La Canfora (via Twitter), the Buccaneers also remain in the mix for Hardy, and a visit to Tampa Bay is a possibility for the defensive end.

10:42am: Hardy intends to visit the Seahawks after meeting with the Cowboys, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com identified Seattle as a potential suitor for Hardy yesterday.

10:22am: Multiple reports yesterday indicated that the Cowboys have some level of interest in Greg Hardy and have engaged in discussions with the defensive end’s camp about a possible contract. Today, Dallas will get a closer look at Hardy, according to Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com, who tweets that the 26-year-old is expected to pay a visit to the team’s facility within the next few hours.

As I observed yesterday, Hardy would be an intriguing on-field fit for a Cowboys team that only had a pair of players record more than three sacks in 2014 — Henry Melton (five) has left Dallas via free agency, and Jeremy Mincey (six) will turn 32 later this year. The Cowboys are said to be talking to Hardy’s former coaches to learn more about his character in the wake of his legal issues, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that contract negotiations between the two sides are ongoing.

While Hardy wasn’t found guilty in his domestic violence case, there are still concerns about the situation after he reached a civil settlement with the alleged victim. The NFL has yet to conclude its own investigation into the matter, so there’s still a chance that the league announces a suspension for the defensive end, which has slowed his market during the first week of free agency.

For now, Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for Carolina before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.

The Seahawks, Raiders, Jaguars, Titans, and Falcons are among the other clubs who have been linked to Hardy this month, though some of those teams have since denied having interest in the former Panther.

Greg Hardy Rumors: Monday

March 16th, 2015 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

When I ranked Greg Hardy 11th in my list of top 50 free agents of 2015, I noted that no player’s value was more difficult to pin down than Hardy’s, given his off-field troubles and his uncertain status for the start of the coming season. The market so far has reflected the difficult nature of assigning a value to Hardy — of our top 25 free agents, only the former Panthers defensive end remains unsigned.

Here’s the latest on the free agent pass rusher:

Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (Twitter link) hears from sources that the Cowboys are in talks with Hardy about a possible deal. Hardy would be an intriguing fit for a team that only had a pair of players record more than three sacks in 2014 — Henry Melton (five) has left Dallas via free agency, and Jeremy Mincey (six) will turn 32 later this year.
The Dallas coaching staff has been in touch with Hardy’s old coaches to learn more about his character, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 Washington (Twitter link), who adds that the Cowboys like what they’ve heard so far.
After poking around the Hardy market over the weekend, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com came away with the sense that the Cowboys and Seahawks could emerge as legit suitors for the defensive end. However, despite the fact that several teams are monitoring the situation, nothing is imminent and it would be a surprise if any team reached an agreement before the NFL announces its ruling on possible discipline, says La Canfora (Twitter links).
The Jaguars are unlikely to pursue Hardy, a league source tells Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. GM David Caldwell didn’t rule out the possibility when he spoke to reporters last week, but it doesn’t look as if the team will seriously consider the 26-year-old.
Earlier today, Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported that many teams believe Hardy will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season

King’s Latest: Peterson, Hardy, Winston

March 16th, 2015 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

After publishing a Wednesday Morning Quarterback last week to recap a crazy first day of NFL free agency, Peter King of TheMMQB.com returns to his usual Monday Morning Quarterback piece this week, and the latest installment includes several noteworthy tidbits from around the league. Let’s round up the highlights….

Addressing a report about the Cardinals‘ possible interest in Adrian Peterson, King cites a “reliable Cardinals source” who indicates Arizona hasn’t had any contact with the Vikings about Peterson. “There is no way we could live with those numbers,” the source said, referring to the three years and $45MM left on the running back’s contract. “We just got Larry Fitzgerald’s contract under control. No way we’d add that salary.”
One general manager tells King that Greg Hardy is on his club’s free agent list, “but pretty far down.” Many teams believe the veteran defensive end will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season.
Jameis Winston isn’t currently planning to attend the 2015 NFL draft in Chicago, preferring to spend it with family and friends down south, says King.
King thinks a team like the Falcons or Buccaneers would be a nice fit for free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney.
The Jets likely would have blown any rival offer for Darrelle Revis out of the water, so even if the Patriots had been willing to get into the neighborhood of New York’s five-year, $70MM proposal, the Jets probably would’ve just upped the ante.
The Cowboys started out at a $5MM-per-year price tag for DeMarco Murray, and were willing to stretch that to $6MM annually, but never considered matching the Eagles‘ final offer, which got up to $8MM+.

AFC West Links: Raiders, Broncos, Hardy

March 15th, 2015 at 7:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

Raiders safety Charles Woodson is excited about what the team was able to do in free agency, despite the lack of one huge signing, writes Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com.

“There’s no question that Suh would have been huge. He would have been huge. He would have been a great addition to the team,” said Woodson. “But at the same time, if you don’t get a Suh, you can get three or four other players to make up for it. And what that does is build depth. So you bring in guys that are possibly starters, that will compete for a starting job, and then we’ve still got money to get three or four other guys. Then you’ve got the draft coming up. So you have the potential to build the team the way you want to. Just because you didn’t get the one guy, we’ll have the opportunity to build this team the right way and that’s what Reggie’s looking at.”‘

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is looking at free agency in the same light as Woodson, and is happy with what they were able to do, according to McDonald. “Every year you go after a lot of guys, and you don’t get them all,” McKenzie said. “Our intent was to go out hard and heavy after each one of these guys, and we were able to land a whole bunch of guys we really liked.”
The Broncos were big spenders in free agency last offseason, but were more reserved this year as they lost Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, and Rahim Moore. Head coach Gary Kubiak stressed the importance of being able to sustain success by replacing veterans with younger players, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “I think you have to understand that’s going to happen with your football team,” Kubiak said. “You can’t keep everybody that you’d like to. Being able to replace guys is part of it. And right now our biggest challenge is that we have to improve a lot of the younger players.”
One free agent the Broncos were able to bring in was offensive lineman Shelley Smith, who played college ball at Colorado State University. Smith was specifically excited to play for Kubiak, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “We have a lot of friends and family here, a lot of support. And it was very appealing. I think he is a heck of a coach, and some of his staff obviously followed him,” Smith said Saturday. “Obviously the scheme has proven to be a very good system and I think it fits my capabilities well.”
Kevin Acee of the U-T San Diego asked a few Chargers’ players if they would be receptive to bringing in Greg Hardy despite his legal troubles. He feels the locker room would approve of the signing (via Twitter). However, he warns them that they will lose their right to judge the next player who gets himself into an ugly situation if they do take him in (via Twitter).

McKenzie, Woodson On Raiders’ Offseason

March 15th, 2015 at 9:43am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders, armed with a boatload of cap space, had hoped to make a big splash in free agency. They wanted Ndamukong Suh, they wanted DeMarco Murray, and they wanted Randall Cobb, among others. But while the Raiders were unable to land the biggest of the big names, they have acquired a number of quality players that should give the team a lift in 2015. Rodney Hudson is one of the league’s best centers, and Dan Williams and Curtis Lofton will give the front seven a much-needed boost. Roy Helu, meanwhile, has a ton of upside and could be one of the offseason’s biggest steals.

At the Raiders’ Commitment to Excellence dinner honoring free safety Charles Woodson last night, GM Reggie McKenzie and Woodson himself spoke about what the team has accomplished so far. Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group passes along a few interesting notes on what those two had to say (all links go to Twitter, unless otherwise noted):

McKenzie said that the plan this offseason was to acquire younger players who are still in their prime years. Last year, of course, the Raiders targeted older players who could provide leadership and help to change the team’s culture.
The older players that were acquired last season largely served their purpose, and some, like Donald Penn, Justin Tuck, and Woodson were retained, as they are still capable contributors. Otherwise, Oakland sought young “starter-types.”
Confirming what we had already learned, McKenzie said the team did make a strong push Suh but will not pursue Greg Hardy.
McKenzie spoke specifically about Hudson and new safety Nate Allen. He said that the Raiders jumped at the chance to sign Hudson, who is a skilled pass-blocker and run-blocker, and he cited Allen’s range, versatility, and instincts as the major factors in his signing.
Both McKenzie and Woodson spoke of the positive energy that the new acquisitions bring with them, and Woodson discussed how a staff assembled of former players contribute to that energy.
Woodson added that he helped to recruit a few of the team’s new additions, though most of them had already agreed to terms.
In a full-length piece, McDonald provides a quote from Woodson that accurately summarizes the team’s offseason: “There’s no question that Suh would have been huge. He would have been a great addition to the team,” Woodson said. “At the same time, if you don’t get a Suh, you can get three or four other players to make up for it. And what that does is build depth.”
For his part, McDonald tweets that this free agent class could end up being a great one, just like last year’s draft class. Given the quality of the signings and the impact they should have on the team’s overall depth, it appears McDonald’s optimism is well-founded.

Latest On Greg Hardy

March 14th, 2015 at 9:06pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 9:06pm: Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie buried the Hardy-to-Oakland rumors, telling CSNCalifornia’s Scott Bair the team doesn’t have “any intention” of pursuing him (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 2:18pm: Speaking to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, Mark Davis called rumors of the Raiders’ interest in Hardy “false, falser, and falsest.”

“He’s somebody we are not negotiating with and I don’t believe we would be interested in at this point in time,” Davis said. “I can tell you this: It has not been brought up to me and it would have to come to me.”

FRIDAY, 1:35pm: Bill Williamson of ESPN.com and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) have both been told by sources that the Raiders aren’t engaged in discussions with Hardy about a deal.

FRIDAY, 10:43am: Hardy is in negotiations with at least one team, and is drawing interest from others, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus, who suggests to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that his client’s market may be more lucrative than expected. Per Schefter, Rosenhaus expects Hardy to earn a “strong multiyear deal.”

“It’s a very positive situation,” Rosenhaus said. “While we’re waiting to hear from the league, we’re working through it, and it has been very encouraging.”

Gus Bradley, the head coach of one team that has been linked to Hardy, said today that the defensive end’s name has not come up in the Jaguars’ free agent discussions, per Nick Kostos of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 7:55am: With two more free agent pass rushers coming off the board this morning, teams looking to generate an outside pass rush may soon have to make a decision on whether to seriously pursue Greg Hardy, who is still awaiting word on potential discipline from the NFL. Reports this week have suggested about a half-dozen teams are eyeing Hardy, but they’re proceeding with caution due to Hardy’s off-field history and the possibility that he’ll be facing a suspension.

It appears one of those clubs with interest in Hardy is the Raiders. Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post first reported (via Twitter) that Oakland is considering the former Panthers defensive end, and the team’s interest has since been confirmed by others, including Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

While Hardy certain makes sense for the Raiders from an on-field perspective, it would be a surprise if the team was seriously considering adding him, based on the franchise’s stance on domestic violence. Owner Mark Davis has said in the past that players with that sort of history won’t receive too long a look from the Raiders — most recently, Davis told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, “We just said it’s not going to be something that we tolerate here.”

Of course, Hardy wasn’t found guilty in his domestic violence case, but there are still concerns about the situation after he reached a civil settlement with the alleged victim. For now, the 26-year-old, who had 15 sacks in 2013 before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.

Another potential suitor for Hardy could be the Jaguars — GM David Caldwell didn’t rule out the possibility of pursuing him when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.

AFC East Notes: Hardy, Bush, Bulaga, Clay

March 14th, 2015 at 4:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Patriots have a history of taking in players with checkered pasts, and could have the opportunity to do so again by signing Greg Hardy this offseason, write Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. He notes that the team took in trouble souls such as Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Aqib Talib, and most recently LeGarrette Blount, all of whom had successful runs with the team.

Considering the cap space the Patriots have available after losing both Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, Hardy could be the next reclamation project for Bill Belichick.

The Patriots lost versatile tailback Shane Vereen to the Giants, and missed out on Reggie Bush, who signed with the 49ers earlier today. That puts them in the market for a pass catching option out of the backfield, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN. Reiss writes that last year’s fourth-round pick James White could fill that role, or Dion Lewis, both of whom are still on the roster. He also picks out University of Miami running back Duke Johnson and former Saint Pierre Thomas as possible options.
The Bills were pursuing offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga aggressively in free agency, and Andrew Brandt noted that Buffalo had offered him more money than he got to return to the Packers, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.
The Bills may have lost out on Bulaga, but they are still trying to land Charles Clay away from the Dolphins, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. The team fully intends to sign Clay to an offer sheet, then the Dolphins would have to either match or allow Clay to leave.

NFC Links: Vikings, 49ers, Cowboys

March 11th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

The bridge hasn’t been completely burned between the Vikings and Adrian Peterson. ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling tweets that the organization is still trying to “work things out” with the embattled running back.
Prior to signing with the Bills, the Vikings asked Jerome Felton to bring them back a counter offer, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The fullback did just that, but Minnesota refused to come close to the four-year, $9.2MM deal he got from Buffalo.
49ers general manager Trent Baalke said there’s no interest in bringing in defensive end Greg Hardy, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
The Cowboys are hosting fullback Jed Collins tonight, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. The Cowboys are hunting for a replacement for Tyler Clutts, who is a free agent. He is the first player the Cowboys have hosted during free agency.

Jaguars GM On Murray, Cobb, Hardy

March 11th, 2015 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars GM David Caldwell told reporters, including John Oehser of Jaguars.com (on Twitter), that his work is not done in free agency. However, he says there’s not a whole lot brewing on star running back DeMarco Murray. Here’s more from today’s presser..

Caldwell said that he had a brief conversation with Murray’s agent last night and he also talked with the team’s finance people, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets.
Caldwell says he wanted a slot wide receiver and targeted Packers star Randall Cobb, DiRocco tweets. He’ll only sign one going forward if the right situation presents himself. Of course, he’s not going to find another slot wide receiver as good as Cobb.
Caldwell wouldn’t close the door on signing Greg Hardy, DiRocco tweets. The GM explained that he would have to do his research on the troubled star. His philosophy is that if a guy shows remorse for his actions, they can give him a second chance.
Caldwell said Jared Odrick‘s versatility was key to his signing, Oehser tweets. Interestingly, Caldwell referred to Odrick, who previously lined up as a defensive tackle, as a defensive end. Odrick’s deal will see him earn $8.5MM per season with $22MM guaranteed overall.
When asked about tight end Marcedes Lewis‘ future with Jacksonville, Caldwell said “he’ll have to compete to be here,” DiRocco tweets. Lewis, 31 in May, played in only eight games last season after suffering a high ankle sprain in September. His IR-DTR status allowed him to return later in the year.
Caldwell said (via Oehser on Twitter) that the team had five initial targets and wound up landing three of them. Free agency might not have been a home run, he says, but he said it was probably more like hitting a double. The GM added that the Jags “probably haven’t” spent as much as he expected, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
Caldwell explained there has been no decision yet on Red Bryant, DiRocco tweets.

NFC FA Rumors: Hardy, Peterson, Worilds

March 10th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears there’s at least some cursory interest in Greg Hardy from the 49ers. Still, it’s very early in the process and his signing might drag on for some time. No matter who signs him, Robinson says (link) that it’ll be a slow process and he expects to see some media leaks to see how it plays publicly. More from the NFC..

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson met with the Wilfs in New York on Monday and GM Rick Spielman, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It was a continuation of the discussion Peterson had last week with Spielman and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who huddled with Peterson for about four hours at his home outside Houston to discuss his future with the team.
Jason Worilds has a clear idea of what he wants but both the Giants and Steelers think that price is too high, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. As one source told the NFL.com scribe, “We’re not paying $1MM per sack.” Worilds notched 7.5 sacks in 2014.
B.J. Raji‘s preference is to return to the Packers but he’s weighing offers and his return is no sure thing right now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Lions are still trying to get something done with Nick Fairley but he’s got some interest elsewhere, Robinson tweets.
The Packers are not pursuing Andre Johnson at this time, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. It appears that Johnson was only being looked at in case Randall Cobb went elsewhere.
The Falcons are expected to be in play for Rams tight end Lance Kendricks, according to Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch (on Twitter).