HEADLINES

Jairus Byrd

AFC East Notes: Byrd, Bills, Patriots, Jets

March 4th, 2014 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2014 free agent period just one week away from officially getting underway, let’s round up a few of the latest AFC East headlines related to free agency….

  • While it looks like there’s a strong possibility of Jairus Byrd leaving the Bills in free agency, the safety hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to Buffalo, as he tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “The door is not closed on anything,” Byrd said. “I’m not closing the door on any opportunities at all. The lines of communication [with the Bills] are still open…. We’re talking. So it’s not anything that’s hard feelings or anything like that. The conversations that we’ve had, we know what’s going on. We’re all on the same page. We’ll go from here.”
  • Byrd also cautioned that “you can’t really believe everything you hear” when asked about an Associated Press report that suggested he turned down an offer from the Bills that would have paid him $10MM over the next three years.
  • The Patriots may end up re-signing free-agents-to-be Julian Edelman and/or Aqib Talib, but the team didn’t see any value in using the franchise tag on either player, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Volin also thinks it only makes sense for New England to release Danny Amendola this offseason if the receiver is designated as a post-June 1 cut.
  • Seth Walder of the New York Daily News examines a few potential free agent wide receiver targets for the Jets, including Hakeem Nicks, Emmanuel Sanders, and Golden Tate.

Byrd Notes: Falcons, Browns, Jets, Bills

March 3rd, 2014 at 8:58pm CST by Peter Sowards

The deadline for teams to apply their franchise and transition tags has come and gone, and the Bills announced earlier today they would not tag three-time Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd.

Now it’s time for beat writers from safety-needy teams to look at whether the former Oregon product who played the 2013 season on a franchise tender would be worth his hefty price tag.

When D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution ranked his five free agent targets for the Falcons, he ranked Byrd No. 1. Atlanta will be $26.7MM beneath the salary cap once Tony Gonzalez‘s $7MM slot is removed, and Ledbetter cites the potential upgrade Byrd would present over incumbent free safety Thomas DeCoud, whom the Falcons are expected to release, as justification.

But, there’s only so much money you can invest in one position, as ESPN Atlanta Falcons reporter Vaughn McClure points out. Strong safety William Moore enters year two of a five-year, $29.51M contract, and Byrd figures to command a substantially larger deal.

Other Byrd notes from around the league…

  • When the Browns placed the transition tag on center Alex Mack earlier today, they gave up their exclusive rights of T.J. Ward, another top-tier safety hitting free agency. ESPN Browns reporter Pat McManamon looks at the potential for a Byrd/Ward swap of sorts, reuniting Byrd with Cleveland head coach and former Buffalo defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.
  • The Jets haven’t paid top dollar for a safety since Kerry Rhodes‘ $33.5MM deal in 2008, ESPNNewYork.com reporter Rich Cimini notes, but Byrd is worth investigating. Cimini’s gut tells him the team will likely look again to Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen in 2014, but with 22 interceptions since 2009 and six against the Jets, Byrd should draw the organization’s eye.
  • Aaron Williams, a second-round pick in 2011, tops the list of likely replacements for Byrd in Buffalo, with younger players Duke Williams, Jonathan Meeks and Jujuan Harley as long shots, per ESPN Bills reporter Mike Rodak.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, Cardinals

March 3rd, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Michael Bennett took to SiriusXM NFL Radio and talked to hosts Bruce Murray and Rich Gannon about his future with Seahawks, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. The defensive end revealed that discussions “have been positive,” adding that the team wants him “to be a Seahawk for the rest of (his) career.”

While it certainly sounds like the Seahawks will bring back their defensive end, Bennett admitted that his brother, Martellus Bennett, is still trying to recruit him to come to the Bears. The Bears would have to “open up their wallet” for that to happen, Bennett said.

Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NFC West…

  • The 49ers did not use their franchise tag on Monday, but could use it next season, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com says. Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree and Aldon Smith are entering the final season of their contracts and could be tagged next offseason.
  • Considering the safety’s connection to St. Louis, Jairus Byrd could potentially be a target of the Rams, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Byrd played high school football near St. Louis, and Wagoner believes the prospective free agent would be a great fit for the team. Still, the writer thinks it’s unlikely the Rams would dish out the kind of money that would be required for Byrd’s services.
  • Larry Fitzgerald acknowledged that the restructuring of his contract should allow the Cardinals to re-sign some key free agents, like Karlos Dansby and Patrick Peterson. One interesting name that the receiver also brought up was Frostee Rucker, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. Fitzgerald said, “Some guys have gaudy numbers. I know his numbers weren’t crazy high. In terms of locker room guy, you can’t ask for a better teammate.”

Bills Do Not Franchise Jairus Byrd

March 3rd, 2014 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have decided not to use their franchise tag on Jairus Byrd or any other prospective free agents, the team announced today in a press release.

“We have negotiated with representation for Jairus Byrd for more than a year, but have yet to reach an agreement on a contract extension,” general manager Doug Whaley said in a statement. “We remain open to getting a deal done with Jairus, but we have chosen not to use the franchise tag on any of our impending unrestricted free agents.”

Byrd, who played last season under the franchise tag, is now expected to hit the open market next week, where he should attract plenty of interest from teams in need of safety help.

Franchise Updates: Whitner, Houston, Byrd

March 3rd, 2014 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

With today’s franchise deadline now less than five hours away, let’s round up a few of the latest news items and rumors on the franchise tag from around the NFL….

  • The 49ers won’t be designating safety Donte Whitner as their franchise player, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
  • Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston isn’t expected to receive the team’s franchise tag, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • The Bills have yet to express anything to Jairus Byrd about the franchise tag, and it appears unlikely that the club will use it, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 also hears that the Bills won’t franchise Byrd (Twitter link).
  • The Packers don’t look likely to use the franchise tag on their own defensive back, says Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). A source tells Dougherty that the team has yet to mention the possibility to Sam Shields or his agent.

Earlier updates:

  • The Lions aren’t expected to use their franchise tag today, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew likely would have been the top candidate to be franchised.
  • The Seahawks won’t use their franchise tag on defensive end Michael Bennett, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. We also heard over the weekend that the team doesn’t intend to tag kicker Steven Hauschka, but Seattle is still trying to reach deals with both players, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Titans won’t use their franchise tag on anyone this offseason, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Cornerback Alterraun Verner appeared to be the most viable Tennessee candidate for the tag, but it appears the club will either reach a multiyear agreement with Verner or let him hit the open market.
  • Paul Soliai‘s agent says the Dolphins have told his client he won’t be franchised, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). We heard last week that Miami was unlikely to re-sign Soliai, so the team may turn its attention to bringing back its other key free agent defensive lineman, Randy Starks.

Bills Unlikely To Keep Jairus Byrd?

March 2nd, 2014 at 10:56am CST by Rory Parks

11:47am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms (via Twitter) the portion of the earlier report that the Bills are unlikely to put the franchise tag on Byrd. He further tweets that the long-term deal that Byrd rejected would have made him the highest-paid safety in the league for a portion of the contract. However, Rapoport also tweeted that the Bills still want to re-sign their star safety, and that a deal could still be reached before free agency opens on March 11 (Twitter link). As Rapoport stated, “stay tuned.”

10:56am: Citing an unnamed source, Jeremy White of WGR 550 Sports Radio says the Bills are unlikely to retain free agent safety Jairus Byrd. White says it is unlikely the team will use the franchise tag on Byrd before tomorrow’s 4 p.m. deadline, and it is also unlikely the two sides will reach a long-term agreement before that time.

Of course, just because a player and a team do not reach a long-term deal before the deadline to use the franchise tag does not mean they cannot reach an agreement on a later date. However, Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 tweets that the Bills made a “substantial” effort to sign Byrd to a multiyear contract, and he also tweets that the team explored trades involving Byrd. The tone of those tweets and of White’s report suggests that Byrd will not, in fact, be back with the team. In a separate piece, Buscaglia confirmed this notion, saying that the two sides appear to be headed for a “parting of the ways.”

This news comes as quite a surprise, given that it was reported just over a week ago that the Bills planned to keep Byrd, and that if a long-term agreement could not be reached, the team would use the franchise tag on him. Earlier today, we read that the Bills have at least $25MM in space for 2014, which would make either option eminently feasible. The Eagles, Browns, and Falcons have all been named as potential landing spots for Byrd, who would be the best safety available in free agency.

 

AFC East Notes: Mallett, Byrd, Howard, Trades

March 2nd, 2014 at 10:51am CST by Rory Parks

Tom Brady is signed through the 2017 season, and the Patriots will be facing the same series of questions until that contract is up: should we draft his eventual replacement? Is the replacement already on the roster? Should we sign a veteran backup? Within the framework of those questions, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald examines the status of current backup Ryan Mallett, who will be a free agent after the 2014 season.

There have been rumors that the Texans may be interested in Mallett, given his familiarity with the offense that Houston’s new head coach Bill O’Brien plans to install, and the Vikings might also have some interest. But despite Mallett’s potential and the fact that he has been mentored by Brady and Bill Belichick, his impending free agency might reduce the the return the Patriots could expect in a trade.

Further complicating the situation is the fact that, if New England were to take a QB in this year’s draft, that player’s rookie deal would expire at the same time as Brady’s. But with Mallett unlikely willing to wait until Brady plays out his contract before finally getting a shot, the Patriots probably have no choice but to trade him now or let him walk after this season. As such, the Pats will keep their eyes peeled for the next young quarterback to impress them the way Mallett did in 2011.

Some more notes from the AFC East:

  • The Bills have nearly $25MM in cap space, and Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News examines how the team might utilize that flexibility. Most notably, Gaughan writes that Buffalo has enough space to retain Jairus Byrd, whether they bring him back on a long-term deal or put the franchise tag on him. GM Doug Whaley said the team will “go after” all of its own free agents, and Gaughan observes that the most significant of those free agents beyond Byrd are Scott Chandler and Dan Carpenter. The team could create even more cap space–about $3.1MM– with the expected release of backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. Right tackle Erik Pears is also in danger of being cut, and his release would save about $2.9MM.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com expects the Jets to re-sign tackle Austin Howard before free agency opens on March 11. He also notes that, with all their cap space–which will increase following the expected release of Santonio Holmes–the Jets will also attack the free agent market for quarterbacks and wide receivers. Cimini expects the team to pursue quarterbacks Michael Vick and Josh McCown and wideouts Golden Tate, Emmanuel Sanders, and Hakeem Nicks.
  • James Walker of ESPN.com says it is “difficult to believe” that the Dolphins are seeking to trade Dion Jordan, Cameron Wake, and Mike Wallace, particularly since the team is in “win now” mode. We heard several days ago that Miami was shopping those players, rumors that the team quickly denied. Walker thinks the most “tradeable” of that group is Jordan, who had a difficult time finding a good fit on the Dolphins defense last year. However, Walker adds that Miami is not likely to give up on such a special talent after just one season.

 

 

 

Extra Points: Benton, Dolphins, Amendola

March 1st, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Peter Sowards

The Dolphins have promoted John Benton to offensive line coach and named Jack Bicknell Jr. the team’s assistant offensive line coach, the team announced today.

Benton was originally hired by the Dolphins on January 29. He replaces Jim Turner, who was fired earlier this month for his involvement in the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin bullying scandal.

Bicknell spent the 2013 season as the Steelers‘ offensive line coach. Before that, he had NFL stops with the Chiefs and Giants, and 24 seasons coaching at the collegiate level.

Here are some more bits and pieces from a relatively slow Saturday night…

Extra Points: Woodson, Pouncey, Kaepernick

February 27th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent veteran Charles Woodson told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he might consider retirement if the Raiders or another club don’t offer him enough money, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link).

“If the right numbers don’t come across, for myself and from the team’s standpoint, then it is a serious consideration at this point that I could have played my last season in the NFL,” Woodson said. “So that’s definitely something that I think about. I do plan on playing another year. Hopefully something can get done with the Raiders but if not then I’ve got to take a real hard look at this last year being the last one.”

Including playing-time bonuses, Woodson made $3.4MM last season with Oakland. More out of the AFC:

  • Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey told WMEN-640’s Orlando Alzugaray on Thursday that he’s committed to center Mike Pouncey, who was implicated in the Ted Wells report. “Pouncey is an excellent player,” Hickey said, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I’ve had good conversations with him in the last month. I’m excited about the future.”
  • Two sources tell Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link) that the contract talks between the Bills and Jairus Byrd have been pleasant so far, a departure from last year at this time.
  • Sean Gilbert has a plan to get the players out of the current CBA and is making a case to head the union, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com gave his perspective on a possible extension for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Any way you slice it, there are going to be challenges for San Francisco.

FA Rumors: Delmas, Jackson, Decker, Pace

February 27th, 2014 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of potential free agents, including wide receiver Riley Cooper, center Roberto Garza, and defensive lineman Chris Baker, came off the board today, having agreed to new contracts with their current teams. However, there are still plenty of rumblings about other players who will hit free agency on March 11, not to mention those who are already available. Let’s dive in and round up the latest….

  • Free agent safety Louis Delmas, who was cut by the Lions earlier this month, visited the Saints today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Because he was released, Delmas is eligible to sign before March 11 if he gets an offer he likes.
  • Recently released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson is in the same boat, and has already lined up weekend visits with the Titans and Broncos, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora adds (Twitter link) that the Vikings among the clubs looking to schedule a visit for next week, while Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that eight interested teams have already reached out.
  • Following up on a tweet from Vic Lombardi of CBS4 in Denver that indicated there could be mutual interest between wide receiver Eric Decker and the Colts, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star says (via Twitter) that potential interest is unlikely to materialize into anything concrete.
  • The Jets met with linebacker Calvin Pace‘s reps at the combine in Indianapolis and made it clear they’d like to re-sign him, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. However, the club has not yet engaged in contract talks for Pace, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
  • Costello adds in a tweet that the Jets also have interest in retaining defensive tackle Leger Douzable, who will be an unrestricted free agent.
  • Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com explores the possibility of the Bills using their franchise tag on free agent safety Jairus Byrd, which it sounds like the team is willing to do.
  • Free-agent-to-be Rashad Jennings has signed with VMG Sports and will be represented by Mike Simon, Greg Diulus, and Adam Heller, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal. The Raiders running back had previously been repped by Kelley Drye.
Load More Posts