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NFC North Notes: Munnerlyn, Lions, Hyde

March 4th, 2017 at 10:49am CST by Sam Robinson

Captain Munnerlyn will be 29 before the 2017 season begins, but the veteran slot cornerback does not have a medium-length contract on his mind. The Vikings free agent is seeking a long-term pact and a raise.

“I’m looking for a four- or five-year deal; just somewhere I can finish my career at, and go from there,” Munnerlyn said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I don’t want a one- or two-year deal. I definitely don’t want to do that. I want to get something longer, so I can settle in and see if I want to make [Minnesota] my home.”

Munnerlyn finished a three-year, $12.2MM Vikings deal and received more slot reps than almost any corner in football during that span. Using the cap’s increase to $167MM behind the reasoning, Munnerlyn is targeting a raise from the $4.2MM base salary he earned in 2016. Two of his agents were scheduled to meet with Vikings executive vice president Rob Brzezinski on Friday. Munnerlyn joins the likes of A.J. Bouye, Stephon Gilmore, Morris Claiborne and others on the cornerback market.

Here’s more from the NFC North on Combine Saturday.

  • The Lions are open to discussing an extension with Eric Ebron, but Bob Quinn said (via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com) that conversation won’t occur for months. Detroit has Ebron’s fifth-year option decision due in early May. Ebron is due $3.9MM in 2017, and Meinke notes Quinn’s recent comments on the tight end suggest he is genuinely interested in keeping him in the Motor City long-term. Ebron could see a bigger role in ’17 if the Lions don’t bring back Anquan Boldin. The 23-year-old tight end set career highs in receptions (61) and yards (711) last season despite playing in just 13 games.
  • Recipient of an extension that hasn’t benefited the Lions, DeAndre Levy has yet to be approached about a pay cut or restructure, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com notes. This course of action may be coming this offseason after Levy’s last two years of work — just 21 tackles and six games played since signing that four-year, $33.74MM extension — but it hasn’t yet. And Quinn expects Levy to return in 2017, although that decision isn’t final yet. As a result of Levy’s injury issues, linebacker is a glaring need for the Lions going into free agency.
  • Packers contract negotiator Russ Ball met with Micah Hyde‘s agent on Friday at the Combine, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reports. ESPN confirmed Ball met with the agents of Packers UFAs Eddie Lacy, Jared Cook, T.J. Lang and J.C. Tretter. However, Lang has already said he won’t sign before free agency commences. Green Bay isn’t likely to retain Tretter, either. Hyde said he would love to stay in Green Bay, identifying it as the best place for him, but hasn’t heard much from the team this offseason about a reunion.

Top 2017 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TOP 2017 NFL FREE AGENTS BY POSITION]

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Kirk Cousins
  2. Mike Glennon
  3. Nick Foles
  4. Brian Hoyer
  5. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  6. Case Keenum
  7. Matt McGloin
  8. Mark Sanchez
  9. Geno Smith
  10. Ryan Mallett
  11. Josh McCown
  12. Christian Ponder
  13. Blaine Gabbert
  14. Matt Schaub
  15. Ryan Nassib

Honorable mention: Shaun Hill

As of this writing, Kirk Cousins is far and away the best potential free agent quarterback in this year’s crop. By the time March gets here, we’re fully expecting Cousins to be spoken for. Ultimately, the Redskins could franchise tag him, work out a long-term deal with him, or swing some type of trade that nets them a massive haul of talent and picks. That will leave a crop of retread quarterbacks that would probably best serve as transitional options for QB-needy teams. Kirk Cousins

Mike Glennon hasn’t done much in his 18 career starts, but talent evaluators are still in love with his size and potential. The 6’7″ quarterback will get more money this spring than you might expect, particularly since there are no surefire QBs in this year’s draft.

Teams looking for stopgap QBs will find a plethora of experienced, though perhaps uninspiring, signal callers. Nick Foles, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have their best football behind them, but they could hold down the fort for a team in 2017 and maybe even find some success if the defense is strong enough. Of course, the ideal role for those guys would probably be as a backup to a better, younger quarterback.

Running back:

  1. Le’Veon Bell
  2. Eddie Lacy
  3. LeGarrette Blount
  4. Latavius Murray
  5. Darren McFadden
  6. Jacquizz Rodgers
  7. Rashad Jennings
  8. Danny Woodhead
  9. Rex Burkhead
  10. Tim Hightower
  11. DeAngelo Williams
  12. Andre Ellington
  13. Chris Johnson
  14. Christine Michael
  15. Robert Turbin

Consider Le’Veon Bell‘s name written in Etch-A-Sketch, because he is very unlikely to get near the open market. That could leave Eddie Lacy as the best tailback available in March. Lacy has struggled with weight issues in recent years and he lost much of the 2016 season to injury. Still, he is a bruising back that could nicely complement a quicker ball carrier. Before he was shut down for the year, Lacy was averaging 5.07 yards per carry in five games for Green Bay.

LeGarrette Blount (vertical)In the last two years, LeGarrette Blount seems to have put his off-the-field troubles behind him. Whether that’s a sign of his maturity or a product of the Patriots’ culture remains to be seen. Teams can ignore his past indiscretions, but they will be wary of his age. Blount turns 31 in December.

Latavius Murray has shown glimpses of being a special running back, but he has been inconsistent and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average of the last two years isn’t overly impressive. Darren McFadden ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, but 2016 was pretty much a lost year for him. Jacquizz Rodgers seemed to break out last year, but he wound up succumbing to the same injury bug that took down a host of other Buccaneers running backs. Speaking of injuries, Rashad Jennings was initially brought to the Giants to be a workhorse back, but two of his three years in New York were marred by ailments. Everyone in this tier has the potential to make a difference, but none should be counted on as anyone’s main guy in 2017.

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Packers Could Be Aggressive In Free Agency

January 27th, 2017 at 9:21am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Packers general manager Ted Thompson hasn’t been particularly aggressive in free agency during his 12-year stint with the franchise, but that could change this offseason. Along with prioritizing re-signing tight end Jared Cook, the Packers are poised to “go and get some free agents this year,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said Thursday on NFL Network (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com).

Jared Cook [RELATED: Green Bay’s Top 3 Offseason Needs]

Thompson hasn’t avoided the open market as a GM, evidenced by past high-profile signings like Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett. However, his preference has been to sign free agents whom other clubs released because they don’t count toward the league’s compensatory draft pick formula. That’s the route Thompson took in 2014 to ink Julius Peppers and again last March to add Cook, whom the Rams had cut a month earlier, to a deal worth a modest $3.5MM.

In his first (and only?) season with the Packers, the 29-year-old Cook appeared in 10 games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. He was far more impressive in the Packers’ two-game playoff run, in which he combined for 13 receptions on 23 targets, 181 yards and two scores.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers endorsed Cook’s potential return earlier this week, saying that re-upping him “needs to be near the top of the priority list.” For his part, Cook seems eager to return to Green Bay.

“It would be good to come back and play in a familiar offense, and learn even more from 12 (Rodgers),” he told Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com.

In addition to Cook, the Packers will have decisions to make on Peppers and fellow linebacker Nick Perry, guard T.J. Lang, running back Eddie Lacy and defensive back Micah Hyde, among others, before free agency opens March 9. The team has nearly $36MM in cap space, which will help it keep at least some of those soon-to-be free agents and make outside additions if it wants, and could free up $9MM more by releasing Sam Shields. The cornerback has suffered four concussions in the past six years, the latest of which limited him to one game – the season opener – in 2016. The money saved in moving on from Shields would help the Packers “reload,” which Rodgers believes is a must for the NFC North champions. It appears Thompson agrees.

Packers Notes: Lang, Cook, Shields

January 23rd, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Lang will be a sought-after guard if he makes it to the free agent market, joining the likes of Kevin Zeitler, Ronald Leary and Larry Warford among a talented contingent of interior blockers. But the six-year Packers starter wants to wrap up his prime years in Green Bay.

“I think everybody in this locker room knows that this is where I want to play,” Lang said, via Ryan Wood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It’s been eight years now. I don’t want to go anywhere. I’ve been saying that since the beginning. I love this team; I love Green Bay; I love everything about being a Packer.”

Already having two tackles signed long-term, Ted Thompson did not make a Lang extension a priority this season. Nothing emerged about the sides discussing a deal. Lang, who will undergo hip surgery for an injury that’s bothered him all year (per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com), won’t turn 30 until September. He made his first Pro Bowl this season, but Thompson cut three-time Pro Bowler Josh Sitton last year. The Packers have depth at tackle with Bryan Bulaga, David Bakhtiari and second-rounder Jason Spriggs, but the build-from-within team doesn’t have a surefire replacement lined up at guard. Center J.C. Tretter also stands to be a UFA come March.

Here’s more coming out of Green Bay after the franchise’s second NFC championship loss in three seasons.

  • Count Jared Cook as another Packer who wants to come back.Aaron Rodgers agrees with that sentiment. “Jared Cook, I think, needs to be near the top of the priority list, the way he played this year,” the All-Pro quarterback said, via Wood. Cook represented one of Thompson’s rare forays into free agency, and with the backing of the league’s most gifted quarterback — and the team finally having a viable weapon at tight end — a reunion makes sense. Wood reports a source informed him in December a Cook return was likely. An underwhelming raw talent with the Titans and Rams, Cook caught 18 passes for 229 yards and two TDs in his first playoff run. He and Martellus Bennett are the top tight end options on the current market.
  • Rodgers appeared to be stumping for more talent to be added this offseason, Thompson’s free agency-phobic tendencies notwithstanding. “We need to reload,” he said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I don’t think we need to rebuild; we need to reload. We got a lot of players who are young. … We just need to reload a little bit this offseason.” Green Bay’s core receivers are all under contract for 2017, with only Cook as a UFA. The Packers re-signed Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in recent years and could do the same with Cook. Rodgers added that keeping the offensive line together was a “big part of our success.” Of the Packers’ starting line, only Lang is a free agent.
  • Sam Shields does not want to retire despite suffering two concussions in a nine-month stretch, but Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal notes the Packers are likely to move on from their previous No. 1 corner. Shields stands to carry a $12.125MM cap number in 2017, his age-30 season and the last on his contract, and the Packers would save $9MM by cutting him. The team did not receive much consistency at cornerback this season due to rampant injuries, but Green Bay did draft corners in the first and second round of the 2015 draft and land promising UDFA Ladarius Gunter. So, Shields returning at that price is almost certainly a non-starter, and he might have to find another employer on a short-term deal.

Injury Notes: Cook, Dolphins, Browns, Eagles

September 26th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jared Cook appears to have avoided a season-ending injury, but the rare Packers free agent looks to be out for at least a game and possibly more following Green Bay’s Week 4 bye, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. It’s being determined whether Cook will be out through Week 5, or if the former Titans and Rams target will be forced to miss multiple full games.

Cook left Lambeau Field Sunday on crutches and remains in a walking boot. The Packers are off in Week 4 and host the Giants in Week 5, but they will likely do so without their starting tight end’s services. Richard Rodgers will be the next man up for Green Bay.

Here are some more injury-related notes from around the league.

  • Continuing the string of trouble at the tight end position this season, Jordan Cameron suffered a concussion against the Browns and won’t play on Thursday against the Bengals, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports. This makes four concussions in the past four years for Cameron, who is in his second season with the Dolphins.
  • Gase also labeled Arian Foster as unlikely to return this week, per Beasley. He remains out with a groin injury. Foster sustained a groin tear during his final Texans training camp last summer and underwent surgery for it at the time. Foster missed three games last season due to that malady before going down with the Achilles tear that ended his time in Houston.
  • Browns linebacker Nate Orchard has a high-ankle sprain, which he sustained on the final play of Cleveland’s overtime loss in Miami, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports (on Twitter). Orchard is expected to be out “a while.” Additionally, Tramon Williams suffered an AC joint sprain during the loss, Hue Jackson said Monday. It’s unclear how long the veteran corner will be out.
  • As long as Ryan Mathews is healthy, he will remain the Eagles‘ top running back, per Doug Pederson (via Zach Berman of Philly.com). The problem, as it’s been for much of the running back’s career, stems from the fact the second-year Eagle again might not be healthy. Mathews left Sunday’s game against the Steelers after playing just eight snaps due to a left ankle injury. Mathews struggled with left ankle trouble in training camp as well.
  • The Eagles expect Zach Ertz and Leodis McKelvin to return after the team’s Week 4 bye, Berman reports. Philadelphia’s starting tight end has missed the past two games with a displaced rib, and McKelvin has missed the same amount of time due to a hamstring ailment.
  • Safety Darian Thompson‘s foot injury is not serious and not “the end of the world,” a source tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter). Thompson will probably be out another week or two before suiting up for the Giants.

NFC North Notes: Vikings, Lions, Tulloch, Cook

June 6th, 2016 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings‘ draft strategy means that there will be more big contracts following Harrison Smith‘s payday, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. Between now and March 2017, the Vikings will have to determine whether they want to stay in business with left tackle Matt Kalil. Beyond him, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd will play out their fifth-year options in 2017. In 2018, the Vikings will have to make decisions on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and linebacker Anthony Barr. This could make for some tough calls but, then again, it’s a good problem to have when your draft picks work out well.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

  • On Monday, Lions GM Bob Quinn declined to provide reporters with an update on Stephen Tulloch‘s status with the team (link via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein). The veteran was told in February he wouldn’t be part of the team, but as of this writing he is still on the roster.
  • Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he has “no long-term concern” with Jared Cook‘s situation, Michael Cohen of the Journal Sentinel writes. Cook had foot surgery earlier this week and will be sidelined at least until training camp, but it sounds like he’ll be back on the field before long.
  • After using first-round picks on offensive linemen Taylor Decker and Laken Tomlinson, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com is optimistic about the Lions‘ run game in 2016. The Lions also added Stevan Ridley in free agent to help round out the running game. Of course, a lot will hinge on second-year player Ameer Abdullah returning healthy.
  • The Lions seemingly drafted long snapper Don Muhlbach‘s replacement this year, but he’s not going to cede his job without a fight, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. “I’m like, ‘I didn’t get fired,’” Muhlbach said when asked about sixth-round pick Jimmy Landes. “I’m still there. I’m not going to leave just now….I still think I’m OK. I want to play some more. My body feels fine, so I’d like to keep going.”
  • The Bears inked third-round defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard earlier today, meaning that every player in their 2016 class is now under contract.

North Notes: Cook, Lions, Bengals, Ravens

June 3rd, 2016 at 8:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Packers tight end Jared Cook had foot surgery earlier this week and will be sidelined at least until training camp, sources tell Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who adds that the operation is being viewed as “preventative.” The hope is that Cook will be able to return when Green Bay begins camp next month, though it doesn’t sound as though that’s definitive. Cook signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal ($825K guaranteed) with the Packers after being released by the Rams earlier this year.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions…

  • True to his scouting report, Lions rookie defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson is having little trouble getting used to Detroit’s scheme. “Athletically, strength-wise, he’s all the things we thought and he can do what we’re going to need him to do,” Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told Justin Rogers of MLive.com. “What you look at is when you go work them out, can they move? Can they bend? Can they redirect? How powerful are they? He had all those traits and so we thought it would be a no-brainer that he would be able to transition to play for us.”
  • The Bengals might have found a new market inefficiency by relying on older players to handle key roles, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Cincinnati will have four members of its club (non-QB or specialist) who will be age 33 or older by season’s end: Andrew Whitworth, Karlos Dansby, Adam Jones, and Eric Winston. Additionally, the club has expressed an interest in pass rush specialist Dwight Freeney, who is still productive at the age of 36.
  • With linebacker Daryl Smith and defensive lineman Chris Canty gone, the Ravens’ front seven has gotten younger, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Clifton Brown notes. Baltimore will depend on a number of players still on their rookie contracts, from defensive lineman Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan to linebackers C.J. Mosley and Arthur Brown. Brown, especially, will be counted on to step up in his fourth NFL season — the former second-round pick notably didn’t play a single defensive snap in 2014 and played only 10 last year. Day 2 draft picks Kamalei Correa and Bronson Kaufusi, both edge rushers, could also play large roles next season.
  • The Lions worked out cornerback Rod Sweeting, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Sweeting, 25, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech three years ago, and has bounced around the league since then. While his most recent action came in Cowboys camp last year (where he was waived during final cutdowns), Sweeting’s most notable time was with the Saints, with whom he played nine games in 2013.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

FA Rumors: Jets, Carter, Thurmond, Colon

March 30th, 2016 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Although they re-signed Erin Henderson earlier this month, the Jets lost Demario Davis in free agency and remain in the market for help at the linebacker position. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the team’s search for reinforcements at linebacker will result in a visit for veteran free agent Bruce Carter.

Having played both inside and outside in 4-3 schemes, Carter would project as an inside linebacker for the Jets. Gang Green currently has David Harris and Henderson penciled in as potential starters, but if he were to sign with the club, Carter could push for playing time.

Here are a few more free agent updates and notes from around the NFL:

Contract Details: P. Robinson, Robertson, Cook

March 28th, 2016 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are some specific details on several of the latest contracts recently agreed upon or signed by NFL free agents. All links courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated.

AFC:

  • Patrick Robinson, CB (Colts): Three years, $14MM. $6MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due this Tuesday. $1MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year — becomes fully guaranteed if on roster beyond this Friday (all Twitter links).
  • Chris Hairston, OL (Chargers): Two years, $2.9MM. $550K signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • Brandon Thompson, DT (Bengals): One year, $840K. $50K signing bonus. $30K workout bonus. $150K incentive for playing time (Twitter link).
  • Leonard Hankerson, WR (Bills): One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K workout bonus. $40K first-game 53-man roster bonus (Twitter link).
  • Steven Johnson, LB (Steelers): One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K signing bonus. $55K first-game 53-man roster bonus (Twitter link).

NFC:

  • Craig Robertson, LB (Saints): Three years, $5MM. $1.965MM guaranteed. $1.2MM signing bonus. $250K roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. $275K due on fifth day of 2018 league year. Up to $1.5MM in annual incentives (Twitter links).
  • Jared Cook, TE (Packers): One year, $2.75MM. Up to $900K in incentives for catches, TDs, and Pro Bowl (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Courtney Upshaw, OLB (Falcons): One year, $1.25MM. $390K signing bonus. $100K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $250K in incentives for playing time and playoffs (Twitter links).
  • Mike Morgan, LB (Seahawks): One year, $1MM. $200K signing bonus. $150K incentive for playing time (Twitter link).
  • Jamarca Sanford, S (Saints): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus. $130K of $885K salary is guaranteed (Twitter link).

Packers Sign Jared Cook

March 28th, 2016 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

10:46am: It’s a done deal, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who tweets that Cook signed his new contract moments ago.

9:31am: It will be a one-year deal worth $3.6MM for Cook with the Packers, tweets Rapoport. Pelissero clarifies (via Twitter) that $3.65MM is the max value, with incentives.Jared Cook

According to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), the Falcons, Panthers, and Bears also had interest in Cook before he agreed to sign with Green Bay.

8:05am: The Packers are set to become the last team in the NFL to sign a player to a free agent contract in the 2016 league year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that tight end Jared Cook is in Green Bay and is expected to sign with the Packers.

Cook visited Green Bay earlier in the free agent period, and was one of the few outside free agents in whom the Packers displayed any interest. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link), the veteran tight end completed a deal with the club last Thursday, and things are just being formalized today — Cook will sign after taking a physical.

Having spent his last three seasons with the Rams, Cook was released by the team in February, allowing him to hit the open market early. Although he perhaps didn’t live up to his lucrative contract in St. Louis, Cook still posted relatively solid numbers during his three seasons with the club. From 2013 to 2015, he averaged approximately 47 receptions, 595 yards, and three touchdowns per year.

Tight end Richard Rodgers had something of a breakout season for the Packers in 2015, catching 58 balls for 510 yards and eight touchdowns. However, he was used as more of a check-down target rather than a downfield threat. Cook, who will turn 29 next month, gives the club a bit more of a dynamic pass-catching target at the position, something the Packers haven’t really had since they employed Jermichael Finley.

Of course, the Packers aren’t typically very active in free agency, as their lack of activity up until now has shown. When they do explore the market though, GM Ted Thompson and the team’s decision-makers often prefer players who have been released by other clubs, since those free agents don’t count toward the draft compensatory pick formula for the following season. Cook fits that bill.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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