Jason Babin - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Rumors: Raiders, Chargers, Haden, Edelman

March 11th, 2014 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

It appears the Raiders, the team with the most cap room in the NFL, will let both of their marquee free agents walk, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio hears from a source that Oakland believes Jared Veldheer is better suited to right tackle than left tackle, and that the team can’t justify paying $7MM annually to a defensive end (Lamarr Houston) who is more a run-stopper than a pass-rusher.

With free agency looming at the top of the hour, here’s more from around the AFC:

Raiders defensive tackle Vance Walker will test the market at 3:00pm CT, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland made Walker an offer, and he likes playing for the Raiders, but he wants to take advantage of the rare opportunity to be an unrestricted free agent, says Tafur.
The Chargers are “very much in the mix” for free agent defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Colts remain in talks to bring Ahmad Bradshaw back, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. The former Giants running back was an impact player last year before his injury.
The Browns‘ talks with Joe Haden on a long-term deal are ongoing, tweets Breer, adding that it would be interesting to see how a deal for Darrelle Revis would affect those talks.
Sources tell Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star that the Chiefs have interest in wide receivers Jason Avant and Devin Hester.
Assuming the Patriots can’t re-sign Julian Edelman, Andrew Hawkins is a target to keep in mind for the team, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Hawkins received an RFA tender from the Bengals, so Cincinnati would have a chance to match any offer for the receiver.
Speaking of Edelman, the Ravens have interest in him, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson also hears from a source that the Ravens will evaluate tight end Owen Daniels, who was released by the Texans (Twitter link).
After voiding his deal and becoming a free agent yesterday, defensive lineman Jason Babin told SiriusXM NFL Radio today that he’d like to return to the Jaguars if it’s possible. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union has the details and quotes.
Bills GM Doug Whaley told WGR 550 that “offers are on the table” for tight end Scott Chandler and kicker Dan Carpenter, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Babin Voids Jaguars Deal, Becomes Free Agent

March 10th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Babin has voided the final two years of his deal with the Jaguars to become a free agent, tweets John Clayton of ESPN. The move clears up $6MM+ plus from the Jaguars’ salary cap in 2014.

As Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (on Twitter), Babin could re-sign with Jacksonville at some point, especially if the Jags come up empty in free agency. General Manager Dave Caldwell has said that he’ll be keeping his options open when it comes to the two-time Pro Bowler (link).

Babin, who turns 34 in May, played in all 16 games last season, racking up 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. The well-traveled veteran has been with five clubs over the course of his NFL career and assuming he doesn’t double back with any of them, he could be on his way to No. 6.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Raiders, Jaguars

March 2nd, 2014 at 6:06pm CST by Ben Levine

A couple of notes from around the AFC on this Sunday evening…

D’Qwell Jackson flew to Denver to meet with the Broncos today, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. It was reported last week that Jackson would also meet with the Titans.
The Browns will not cut or restructure the contract of defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin, Cabot writes in another article. There were rumblings that Rubin might be a cap casualty only a couple of days ago.
The Raiders like Derek Carr more than Johnny Manziel, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. As Farmer points out, the team is known to make unconventional picks, so Manziel would “seem like a natural fit for them.”
Justin Forsett and Jason Babin could potentially be cut by the Jaguars, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com writes.
In the same article, DiRocco says that the Jaguars’ cap room means they can get involved with free agents like Alex Mack or Brian Orakpo.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Verner, Babin

February 15th, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

One of the biggest question marks for the Colts this offseason is how the team will better develop Trent Richardson after a disappointing 2013 campaign. Since the team traded a first-round pick to acquire him, Richardson seems locked in to the top of the depth chart at least at the beginning of this season. Because of this, and the return of Vick Ballard from injury, Donald Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw will probably be searching for new teams in free agency, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. While they were arguably the Colts best running backs last season, they would most likely look for opportunities to start or split time elsewhere. Here are some other rumors from around the AFC South:

While the Colts will have more than $30MM to spend, Wells does not see the team bringing a bunch of big name free agents this offseason. With new contracts for T.Y. Hilton and most importantly Andrew Luck on the horizon, much of that cap space will be saved for re-signing current players or cheaper free agents.
Alterraun Verner has been thought of as a possible franchise tag candidate for the Titans, but Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean does not see that as a likely scenario, as the team is already paying Jason McCourty a little over $8.6MM per year. Verner’s franchise price is expected to be around $11.2MM, and together it would be too much to invest in one position. The team will continue to work on a long-term deal with Verner.
Jason Babin is unlikely to be on the Jaguars roster next season at his current price tag of $4.225MM, but he is willing to renegotiate that figure to stay with the team, writes Michael Dirocco of ESPN.com. Babin was the Jaguars’ best pass rusher last season, totaling a team-high 7.5 sacks on the season.

Pompei On Bradley, Licht, Babin

January 25th, 2014 at 9:34am CST by Matt Feminis

A dearth of elite talent in Mobile has created a potpourri of non-traditional headlines. In his latest missive, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei explains that Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has been the “star of the Senior Bowl.” Contained in the NFL Confidential section are the following notes:

Despite Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith having final say on personnel matters, ownership made the final call on the hiring of GM Jason Licht. It is believed the Dolphins were also sold on Licht.
Jason Babin is expected to be cut by the Jaguars. At 33, Babin might be relegated to a situational pass-rushing role for his next team.
One GM calls the 2014 Senior Bowl rosters the worst he’s ever seen, explaining that many of the players expected to be drafted highly are underclassmen. Additionally, several of the most highly regarded seniors opted not to attend the All-Star game. The GM refers to the exhibition as a “second-round game,” saying 15-18 players could come off the board on the draft’s second day.