Jacob Tamme

FA Notes: Mays, Dent, Tamme

Let’s check out some notes regarding some notable free agents…

  • Former Bengals safety Taylor Mays will have dinner with members of the Vikings organization this evening, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Mike Zimmer and his front office had been reportedly eyeing the defensive back for some time.
  • According to agent Hadley Engelhard, free agent linebacker Akeem Dent has received interest from the Texans (via Mark Berman of Houston’s Fox26 on Twitter). The agent noted that he is “having extensive dialogue with [two] other teams” regarding his client.
  • Free agent tight end Jacob Tamme is visiting the Falcons this evening, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The former Colts and Broncos weapon is reportedly considering a pair of offers, and one of those contracts could be from Denver, as Mike Wilkening of ProFootballTalk.com says the Broncos would like to bring back the 30-year-old.

AFC West Rumors: Freeney, Royal, Broncos

The latest from the AFC West..

  • Chargers GM Tom Telesco spoke to Dwight Freeney days ago and informed him that the team won’t be pursuing another contract with him, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. “I wish him all the luck. I really do.
  • Meanwhile, Telesco said that the “door is still open” for Eddie Royal to return to the Chargers, Gehlken tweets. So far, there has been nothing official between the wide receiver and the Bears, though there have been rumblings of a connection there. In San Diego last season, Royal caught 62 balls for 778 receiving yards. Both marks were his best since his rookie season with the Broncos in 2008.
  • Broncos GM John Elway says the team is still looking at safeties and improving the offensive line in the second wave of free agency, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Broncos, who are high on tight ends, will talk with Jacob Tamme today in hopes of retaining him, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets. Of course, Denver seems pretty set at the tight end position in the wake of yesterday’s signing of Owen Daniels.
  • Elway went on to say that the Broncos are still trying to re-sign defensive tackle Mitch Unrein, Legwold tweets.

Extra Points: Fairley, Tamme, Broncos

A company that is gunning to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles has given $118K in campaign contributions to officials in the city, according to The Associated Press. San Francisco-based Hollywood Park Land Co., the company developing the proposed 80,000-seat stadium, has claimed Rams owner Stan Kroenke as a partner in the company since last year. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • A source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Lions defensive tackle and potential free agent Nick Fairley “just wants to be in the most comfortable situation possible.” The status of Ndamukong Suh could go a long way toward determining whether or not that situation is in Detroit.
  • Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme told Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that he expects to hit the free agent market. Still, he says he’d “love the chance to be back in Denver.” Tamme went on to say that his skill set would work well in Denver’s new offense (link).
  • Whether Peyton Manning returns or not, the Broncos can say goodbye to any chance of returning to their second Super Bowl in three seasons without a reconfigured offensive line, Troy Renck of The Denver Post writes. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Baltimore Ravens, for whom Kubiak served as offensive coordinator last season, posted a 41.4 run-blocking score. The Broncos checked in at minus 4.1.
  • In a chat with Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter), Buccaneers center Evan Dietrich-Smith compared the Buccaneers 2014 offense to trying to assemble something without directions because of the coaching issues. The Bucs hope that they have fixed their offensive issues with new coordinator Dirk Koetter.
  • The idea of Ndamukong Suh joining the Raiders has been a well-documented scenario for weeks, but there are plenty more fish in the sea, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com writes. More affordable options on the open market include Terrance Knighton, Henry Melton, Nick Fairley, and Jared Odrick. Knighton, he argues, would make the most sense of anyone in the group. Pot Roast played for new coach Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville and Denver and has expressed his desire for a reunion.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Broncos Restructure Jacob Tamme’s Contract

The Broncos have created a little cap room by restructuring the contract of tight end Jacob Tamme, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, who tweets that Tamme accepted a reduced salary in order to remain with the team.

Having previously been set to earn a $3MM base salary in the final year of his contract, Tamme can still make that much if he maxes out on bonuses and incentives, but his base salary has been reduced to just $1.25MM, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The new deal includes up to $450K in per-game roster bonuses ($28,125 per game), as well as up to $1.3MM in incentives.

After Julius Thomas‘ emergence last season, Tamme has settled into a reduced role on the Broncos’ offense. Even with Wes Welker out for the season’s first four weeks, Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Andre Caldwell, and rookie Cody Latimer will be among the players vying for targets. Still, given how much Peyton Manning and the Broncos like to throw, we should see the occasional pass heading Tamme’s way.

Cap Work Remaining For Broncos

Until rosters are cut down to 53 players, teams are required to be under the $133MM salary cap with their top 51 salaries. In the wake of an aggressive offseason which included signing big-ticket free agents Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, DeMarcus Ware and Emmanuel Sanders, the Broncos’ top 51 costs $132MM, meaning John Elway and Co. have some bookkeeping to do between now and the end of training camp, explains ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.

Key points:

  • The team is trying to lock up free agents-to-be Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas long-term.
  • Including rollover, the team has about $4.6MM of workable cap space.
  • “Quarterback Peyton Manning has the team’s highest cap figure, at $17.5 million and the Broncos have the biggest cap gap of any position between starter and backup with No. 2 Brock Osweiler, still on his rookie deal, coming in at $959,094 against the cap.”
  • The team has seven tight ends on the roster, five of which — including Thomas, Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen — are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in 2015.
  • “Dead money” hits include Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ($2.1MM), Chris Kuper ($1.83MM) and Willis McGahee ($500k).
  • Terrance Knighton‘s representatives were seeking a renegotiation of his contract which calls for him to make $2.75MM in 2014 before the big defensive lineman hits free agency, but the team did not acquiesce.
  • Kicker Matt Prater and punter Britton Colquitt will cost a combined $7.4MM against the cap this season.