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Jeremy Maclin

FA Rumors: Bulaga, McCourty, Suh, Raiders

March 7th, 2015 at 11:36pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Packers were able to retain one of their top two free agents tonight, reaching an agreement to bring back wide receiver Randall Cobb, the team may end up losing tackle Bryan Bulaga, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Two league sources tell Silverstein that Bulaga is seeking a contract worth at least $7-8MM per year, and has a good chance of landing such a deal. Per one of Silverstein’s sources, Green Bay isn’t interested in paying $7MM+ annually for Bulaga, and would let him walk if the bidding got that high. The Buccaneers, the Jaguars, and Washington are believed to have interest in the free agent tackle.

Here’s more from around the league on what has been a busy Saturday:

  • According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), safety Devin McCourty is seeking an annual salary of $9MM per year, like what Jairus Byrd got a year ago. When I listed McCourty as 2015’s second-best free agent earlier today, I noted that if Byrd could land $9MM per year, the Pats safety should be able to do just as well on the open market.
  • Cole also has an update on Ndamukong Suh, tweeting that one high-placed source is confident that Suh will end up with the Dolphins, while a second source says the Lions are the only other team involved in the bidding. Given how rare it is for a player of Suh’s caliber to reach the open market, I’d be pretty surprised if only two teams were pursuing him, but multiple reports over the last several days have identified Miami and Detroit as the frontrunners.
  • Cobb had been high on the Raiders‘ list of wide receiver targets, but now that he’s off the market, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says the team will likely shift its focus to Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith, and – if and when he becomes available – Percy Harvin.
  • The Texans have interest in quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer, and it may not be an either/or proposition for the team, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that the club would like to sign both players.
  • The Cowboys have elected not to tender a contract offer to cornerback Sterling Moore, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent rather than an RFA, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.

Texans FA Rumors: WRs, Wilfork, Hoyer, Parker,

March 7th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

Either by trade or release, it seems inevitable that Andre Johnson will not be a member of the Texans sooner rather than later. DeAndre Hopkins emerged as a capable number one option last year, but the team will need to add pass catching talent if they want to improve on offense without their franchise leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

The team will likely pursue top free agent receivers such as Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin to line up across from Hopkins in 2015, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He believes that Torrey Smith could be an option as well.

Here are some other notes surrounding the Texans’ free agency plans:

  • One huge name the Texans could have a shot at bringing in is former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, writes McClain (via Twitter). He adds that Wilfork knows head coach Bill O’Brien from their time together in New England, and is especially close with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell.
  • The team could also be interested in Chiefs safety Ron Parker, according to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • Five or six teams have expressed interest in Brian Hoyer as either a starter or high-level backup, reported Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The Texans appear to be on that list (via Twitter).
  • McClain also opined on how he expects the team to approach free agency in general, saying he does not expect the team to sign many big name guys due to the self-imposed budgets they have on how they value players (via Twitter). He writes that teams with more cap space will likely overpay for their services. He adds that the Texans have a history of overpaying to retain players, but rarely chase other team’s free agents (via Twitter). He cites the regrettable signings of Ed Reed and Ahman Green as reasons the team will likely be quiet in free agency.

Eagles Notes: Cornerbacks, Maclin, Graham

March 6th, 2015 at 10:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles’ biggest problem last season was their vulnerability against opposing quarterbacks. Philadelphia’s defense allowed the second-most aerial yardage in the NFL in 2014, finished tied for 21st in interceptions, and ended up 20th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense rankings. The Eagles are expected to have just under $50MM in cap space to spend this offseason, and they’re likely to use at least a decent portion of that to upgrade a secondary that needs two new starting cornerbacks.

The Seahawks’ Byron Maxwell, whom many consider the best corner set to hit the free agent market Tuesday, has been linked to the Eagles recently. The 27-year-old further stoked the flames earlier this week when he said, according to Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com, that he would “definitely” consider signing with the Eagles. With that in mind, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer took a look at Maxwell’s body of work and wondered whether the Eagles would spend the $10MM to $12MM per annum that the four-year veteran is seeking. McLane brought up multiple concerns surrounding Maxwell, including the fact that he has just 17 career starts and was supported in Seattle by three elite defensive backs – Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. However, McLane also made mention of the positives Maxwell brings, notably his coverage skills, size (6-foot-1, 207 pounds), range and versatility.

Regardless of whether the Eagles ultimately sign Maxwell, they’re going to be busy during free agency as they work to improve their secondary and other aspects of their roster. Here’s more on what the coming days could bring for Philly:

  • Zach Berman, also of the Philadelphia Inquirer, examined Maxwell and other possible free agent corner options for the Eagles. Berman highlighted Antonio Cromartie, Davon House, Kareem Jackson, Chris Culliver and Brandon Flowers as potential targets.
  • Geoff Mosher and Reuben Frank continued the defensive back theme in wondering whether the Eagles should pursue Jimmy Wilson, who has spent his first four seasons in the league with the Dolphins. Neither Mosher nor Frank endorsed adding Wilson as anything more than a backup.
  • Two of the Eagles’ top players – star receiver Jeremy Maclin and linebacker Brandon Graham – are both scheduled to hit the market Tuesday, and can start negotiating with other teams Saturday. Unsurprisingly, the Eagles are expected to face “stiff competition” to sign Maclin, per Berman, if he makes it to free agency. Similarly, Graham will be in high demand and, according to Berman, could net a deal north of $40MM in total value and $20MM in guarantees.

East Notes: Dolphins, Suh, Dez, Maclin, McCoy

March 4th, 2015 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants are right to consider making a run at Ndamukong Suh, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The Giants aren’t well-positioned to outbid anyone, but if they were able to pull it off, the team could have a pass rush to rival what they had in 2007 with Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions, including one more item on Suh:

  • We heard the Dolphins mentioned as a possible suitor for Suh earlier this week, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the reasons why Miami actually may emerge as the favorites to land the star defensive tackle, with teams like the Raiders, Jaguars, Buccaneers being floated for potential leverage rather than as legit bidders.
  • Last week, former Dallas County DA Craig Watkins indicated that he had “no knowledge” of any 2011 Wal-Mart incident involving Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, but a report of the incident did, in fact, make its way to his office about a year after the fact, as Florio explains at PFT.
  • It looked for a little while as if the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin were getting close to a new deal, but the two sides are farther apart now, and the wideout is starting to get “nibbles,” tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports backs up this assessment, tweeting that there’s “work to be done” on the Maclin front for the Eagles.
  • While running back LeSean McCoy initially wasn’t thrilled about the trade that will send him to the Bills, a source tells McLane (Twitter link) that the veteran back is “ready to move on.” We rounded up several more updates on the reported swap between the Eagles and Bills earlier this morning.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Patriots‘ offseason, suggesting that it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team lets both of its free agent running backs – Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley – sign elsewhere.
  • Veteran safety Jordan Pugh, who last appeared in a regular season game for Washington in 2013, recently worked out for the Jets, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Eagles Notes: McCoy, Cole, Maclin

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Eagles haven’t approached running back LeSean McCoy about restructuring his contract, two sources close to the situation tell Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Agent Drew Rosenhaus has since confirmed McLane’s report, as Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Not taking into account Adrian Peterson‘s $15.4MM cap number, which figures to be addressed at some point, McCoy’s $11.95MM figure for 2015 makes him the only running back with an eight-digit cap hit, which makes the deal a candidate to be restructured. So far though, it doesn’t seem as if there’s any urgency on the team’s part.

Here’s more on McCoy and the Eagles:

  • As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, McCoy’s contract doesn’t include any bonuses or guarantees in March, so there’s no real rush for the Eagles to do anything with it. Practically speaking, if the Eagles want to adjust the running back’s deal, they’ll probably do so before the offseason program begins, but they don’t necessarily have to until closer to the regular season.
  • While there have been no contract talks yet with McCoy, the Eagles have engaged in discussions with veteran edge defender Trent Cole to bring him back for the 2015 season, a source tells Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media. Cole’s $11.625MM cap number is Philadelphia’s second-largest for 2015, behind McCoy’s, making him a candidate to be released if the two sides can’t reach an agreement to reduce that figure.
  • Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com lays out the possible outcomes for Jeremy Maclin‘s contract situation with the Eagles, examining the possibility of a long-term contract, a franchise or transition tag, or the wideout hitting the open market. Philadelphia has until 3:00pm central time today to tag Maclin, if the team decides to go that route.

East Notes: Cowboys, Maclin, Forbath

March 1st, 2015 at 11:23am CST by Rory Parks

Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray have understandably dominated the discussion surrounding the Cowboys‘ offseason, but there are still other decisions for Dallas to make once the Bryant and Murray situations are resolved. For instance, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News recently predicted that the team would opt not to exercise Morris Claiborne‘s fifth-year option, which is surprising in that it directly contradicts what owner Jerry Jones said last month. And, on the topic of underperforming defensive backs, Machota thinks the Cowboys will retain Brandon Carr but that Carr will probably end up taking a pay cut, which reaffirms what our Ben Levine wrote last night.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at how the Cowboys will address their backup quarterback situation in 2015. Although Brandon Weeden is still under contract, Jones did not give Weeden a ringing endorsement at the NFL combine a few weeks ago, and the team is high on third-stringer Dustin Vaughan. George does not believe Dallas will ultimately sign a free agent to replace Weeden, but he does note that the Cowboys would not hesitate to do so if the right deal came along.
  • The Cowboys’ decision to put the franchise tag on Bryant is good news for the Eagles, as it prevents Bryant from setting a market price for wide receivers like Jeremy Maclin that Philadelphia would be unable to meet. But Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets that, if the Eagles cannot agree to a long-term deal with Maclin by tomorrow afternoon, then Maclin will also get the franchise tag.
  • Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com passes along Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman‘s thoughts on trading up in the draft. Roseman is generally against such a move, which is interesting given the rumors surrounding the team’s alleged desire to move up to select Marcus Mariota. But Roseman, of course, will not have a say in the Eagles’ ultimate decision to trade up or stay put as a result of his redefined role in the team’s front office.
  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com examines whether Washington should part ways with kicker Kai Forbath, a restricted fee agent. Washington has not been particularly eager to extend an offer to Forbath, who would be the most accurate kicker in team history if he had enough attempts to qualify, and Tandler says the reason for that is Forbath’s leg strength. Forbath was near the bottom of the league in net kickoff average, and the team may choose to trade a little accuracy in field goal attempts below 50 yards for improved field position and the chance to make a long-range field goal every once in a while.
  • After the Bills missed out on Josh McCown, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News took a look at other signal-callers that the team could pursue. The free agent class is, of course, underwhelming, with the possible exception of Brian Hoyer, though Nick Foles or even Jay Cutler could be intriguing trade targets.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com looks at the free agent case of right guard Willie Colon. Colon could make sense for another team looking for a one-year stopgap, but the Jets are likely to seek an upgrade in free agency.

Maclin: “I Want To Be Here In Philadelphia”

February 28th, 2015 at 5:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin was one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL last season, setting new career highs in receptions (85) and yardage (1,318) and tying a previous best with 10 touchdowns. Fresh off that sterling campaign and his first Pro Bowl invitation, the six-year veteran is scheduled to become a free agent March 10. However, if the 26-year-old has his way, he’ll remain an Eagle.

“I’ve always said I want to be here in Philadelphia, but also I’ve always said it’s a business,” Maclin said Saturday, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. “But both sides have made it known that we want each other back, so the rest is in God’s hands. If it’s supposed to happen, it’s supposed to happen. I want to be here.”

If no deal is reached this weekend, Philadelphia has until Monday to place the franchise tag on Maclin. Bowen views that as “unlikely,” though, given the fact the two sides haven’t discussed it as a possibility. What’s more, per Bowen, the tag for receivers in 2015 has an estimated worth of $12.8MM and the Eagles might not view using so much cap room on one player as a palatable option. According to OverTheCap.com, the Eagles have $27.61MM of spending space.

Regarding the possibility of being a recipient of the franchise tag, Maclin told Bowen, “It’s part of the business. I’m very attuned to what’s going on, I’m very attuned to how everything works.”

If the Eagles do tag Maclin, he’ll play his second straight season on a one-year deal. Last February, he signed a short-term pact worth $6MM with Philly after missing all of 2013 with a torn ACL.

Although the clock is ticking toward free agency, Maclin isn’t worried about the pace at which the contract negotiations between his agent, Tom Condon, and the Eagles are going.

“What’s the rush? We’re going to do this thing, we’re going to do it right,” Maclin said. “That’s how you want it to happen, that’s how you want it to be. We want both sides to be happy.”

If both sides don’t end up happy and Maclin hits the market, he’s sure to have plenty of suitors. Maclin has kept an eye on which clubs are weak at his position. “I know on paper what teams look like they need receivers,” he stated.

 

Unless the Eagles and Maclin find common ground soon, those other teams will come knocking when open negotiations begin March 7.

East Notes: Jets, Maclin, Spiller, Pats, Giants

February 24th, 2015 at 7:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve heard that the Jets plan to be aggressive in free agency, and now Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net offers a little more clarification on what areas New York might be targeting next month. In addition to outside linebackers, the Jets will look to sign “younger, taller corners” — Pauline suggests Davon House, Chris Culliver, and Kareem Jackson as players who fit that mold. Pauline adds that Gang Green will also look for defensive line depth and help at guard, but won’t pay for someone like Mike Iupati, who is expected to command ~$8MM per year.

Here’s more from the East:

  • Before Jeremy Maclin changed agents in November, ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter) believed it was a near-lock that the receiver would re-sign with the Eagles. Now, Caplan isn’t so sure, saying that the odds of the two parties getting a deal done is less certain.
  • Many have linked C.J. Spiller to the Jets thanks to the presence of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, but speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio today, Spiller said there is a possibility he remains with the Bills, but noted the “ball was in [Buffalo’s] court” (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).
  • The Patriots worked out former Packers receiver Kevin Dorsey today, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Dorsey, a 2013 draft pick, was waived by Green Bay a week ago. The Maryland product has been on injured reserve during most of his first two seasons in the league.
  • Per the terms of his deal with the Giants, offensive lineman Dallas Reynolds will earn a $660K base salary, a $25K signing bonus, and a $15K workout bonus, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link).

NFC Links: Saints, Falcons, Eagles, Lions, Bears

February 15th, 2015 at 7:24pm CST by Rob DiRe

Whether you are watching the NBA All-Star Game, SNL 40, or something else, here is a roundup of some NFC links you might have missed today:

East Notes: Dolphins, Wallace, Maclin, Bills

February 12th, 2015 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

A possible contract extension for starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be a top priority for the Dolphins this offseason, but the club will also need to secure a backup, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. In Salguero’s view, considering Tannehill has been sacked more than any other QB in the league over the last two seasons, Miami will target a veteran backup who could potentially salvage the season if he were forced into action. Given his history with the team, free-agent-to-be Matt Moore may be the Dolphins’ best bet, but there should be no shortage of veteran alternatives on the market.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Nothing is off limits this offseason for wide receiver Mike Wallace, including being retained, traded or released by the Dolphins. Mulling the idea of a Wallace trade, James Walker of ESPN.com names three potential suitors for the veteran wideout, identifying the Seahawks and Colts as the best fits.
  • It doesn’t make much sense for Jeremy Maclin to sign a deal with the Eagles right now, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, pointing out that Maclin could end up being the best receiver on the market in a few weeks depending on how teams use their franchise tags. If Maclin were to sign an extension with Philadelphia now, he could short-change himself by millions – or tens of millions – during his best chance to “hit the jackpot.”
  • Appearing on WGR 550 in Buffalo today, Bills head coach Rex Ryan indicated the team is keeping every option open in the search for an answer at quarterback. “We are in the evaluating stages. So, we’re looking,” Ryan said, per Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550. “We’ve got the draft coming up, free agency is coming up. You’re looking at all those type of things. Are there some scenarios out there, are there trade possibilities? You look at every possible scenario there is. From Doug Whaley all the way to our scouts, all our positional coaches… we’re looking at that. Believe me, we’ll be prepared for every scenario out there.“
  • Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com makes 12 predictions for the coming offseason, forecasting that DeMarco Murray will return to the Cowboys on a team-friendly deal, Dallas will pay Dez Bryant a top-of-the-market multiyear contract, and Darrelle Revis will pass up a potentially bigger offer to return to the Patriots.
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